Chance to question council candidates

All six Palmerston North mayoral candidates are expected to show voters their wares at a debate on Wednesday evening.

The event is hosted by Manawatu¯ People’s Radio and supported by the Manawatu¯ Standard, and it’s expected all those running for the city’s mayoral chains will front at the Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre from 7.30pm.

They six candidates are incumbent Grant Smith, Andy Asquith, Ross Barber, Maruna Engu, Hussein Kikhounga-n’got and Teanau Tuiono.

From 7.30pm, they will each make four-minute statements before a Q and A session, with questions from Manawatu¯ People’s Radio, the Standard and our respective listeners and readers.

The debate will be broadcast on Manawatu¯ People’s Radio at 5pm on Friday and then be available as a podcast. Full reports and analysis will be published in the Standard and on Stuff’s Manawatu¯ page.

From 6-7pm, Manawatu¯ People’s Radio will host a meetthe-candidates session for those running for the city council.

There are 27 people vying for 15 seats and each candidate who attends will have two minutes to introduce themselves and their ideas to voters.

It will be broadcast on Manawatu¯ People’s Radio at 5pm on Thursday and also be available as a podcast after that.

The debate is one of several candidates’ events this week ahead of voting papers being mailed out. Voting closes Saturday, October 12.

Questions for the mayoral candidates can be sent to fraser@mpr.co.nz.