Policy focus at seaside event
Maui dolphins, offshore drilling and seabed mining will be on the agenda when Green Party MPs Gareth Hughes and Jan Logie host a public meeting in Plimmerton on Thursday night.
Hughes said the meeting, to be held at the Pavilion, was ‘‘ very much unique’’ to Mana, and not one to be replicated elsewhere across the country.
He is confident he and Logie will receive a good reception.
‘‘I guess because it is so close to the sea, and the Green Party has done well in Mana at recent elections, we feel it is a good place to talk about some of the issues that matter to us.
‘‘I used to live in Plimmerton when I was at teachers training college – I love the area.’’
Hughes said while his area of speciality is energy and youth, he and Logie will answer questions on all Green Party policy.
Television advertisements, billboards and leaders’ debates were one thing, but talking face-toface with party representatives was a more effective way of getting to the point of issues, he said.
There is a perception the Greens are weak on questions to do with improving the economy, but he wanted to dispel this.
‘‘We’re not anti-economy, that’s just political spin.
‘‘We have credible policies and a plan to put them in place,’’ he said.
Hughes said he was looking forward to healthy debate and plenty of questions at the Pavilion.
Issues like drilling for oil and seabed mining were important topics to all New Zealanders and the Greens wanted to instead promote ‘‘clean’’ energy, like solar power, he said.
The meeting starts at 7.30pm this Thursday.