Last pitches for Maungakiekie
Things got heated as candidates for one of Auckland’s most hotly contested electorates called each other out one last time.
Maungakiekie’s three front runners: National candidate and Auckland councillor Denise Lee, Labour candidate and former policy analyst Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Green candidate Chloe Swarbrick, who came third in the Auckland mayoralty race last year, sat down with Stuff.co.nz on Monday for their final debate before the general election on Saturday.
The three discussed Maungakiekie and the big issues facing the electorate - housing, transport, taxes and climate change. The full debate can be found on our Facebook page.
Radhakrishnan, who is ranked 12 for Labour, and Swarbrick, ranked seven for Greens, clashed with Lee, who is ranked at 63 for National.
On transport Swarbrick said massive proposed roading project the East West Link was a ‘‘waste of money’’, while Radhakrishnan said it would be scaled back under a Labour government.
Lee said with traffic slowing down industry in Penrose and Onehunga the East West Link was necessary.
‘‘There’s nothing silly about the engine room of New Zealand’s economy,’’ Lee said.
Resident Ainsley Siegel asked the candidates what they would do for her family, which was just above the working for families threshold.
National’s tax cuts would mean Siegel would be $1000 better off in April, Lee said.
Under Labour the working for families threshold would be extended and a near universal payment for people with small children would be created, Radhakrishnan sai
Labour would build affordable housing on surplus Crown land, and bolster renting rights, including getting rid of letting fees, Radhakrishnan said.
National did have an insulation scheme requiring landlords to insulate their rentals by 2019, Lee said.
National was building 2500 homes in Maungakiekie, with 240 of those in Mt Wellington, Lee said.
A serious crackdown on property speculators was needed to free up supply, Swarbrick said.
‘‘We need people to stop hoarding houses and seeing them as commodities and instead start seeing houses as homes.’’