Rangitata voters get chance to question candidates ahead of election

Wednesday, 6 September 2023

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Rangitata voters will get their first chance to question their candidates standing in the general election on Thursday, at a Rotary-organised event in Timaru.

Rotary Club of Timaru North is organising the Meet the Candidates event, and president Don George said the aim was to provide an open platform for candidates to state their views and answer questions.

Six candidates would attend the event at the West End Hall, he said.

“We’re allowing each candidate 10 minutes to speak,’’ George said.

He said it was the first time the club had held such an event before a general election, and he understood it was the first Meet the Candidates evening in the electorate for this election.

New Zealand’s general election would be held on October 14.

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand Rangitata candidate Barbara Gilchrist will be at the event.

“Rotary is not a political organisation as such, but we wanted to get all the candidates together, so people have an equal opportunity to learn more about the candidates, their visions for the future, and the issues they plan to address.’’

Fellow Rotary member and event chairperson Ron Sparrow said the group believed in “the power of informed decision-making and active civic participation’’.

New Zealand First Rangitata candidate Robert Ballantyne.

“Our Meet the Candidates event aims to provide community members with the opportunity to engage with those who aspire to represent their interests.

“We invite everyone to join us and take part in meaningful discussions, gain insights into the candidates’; strategies, and contribute to shaping our collective path forward.’’

MP for Rangitata Labour’s Jo Luxton is standing again in the 2023 election.

Candidates participating on the night will be New Zealand First’s Robert Ballantyne, Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Barbara Gilchrist, MP for Rangitata Labour’s Jo Luxton, National’s James Meager, New Conservative’s Karl Thomas and New Nation’s Dolf van Amersfoort.

ACT’s Toni Severin would represent her party, after the party’s Rangitata candidate Elaine Naidu Franz resigned after it emerged she compared Covid-19 mandates to concentration camps.

National’s Rangitata candidate James Meager.

Michael Clarkson, of Rock the Vote NZ, had put in an apology.

George said questions for candidates in advance could be emailed to: president@rotarytimnth.nz.

Admission to the evening, which would start at 7pm on Thursday, was open to the public and those who attended were asked to make a donation at the door to support Rotary Club of Timaru North projects.