If school children could vote ...

When Northcote Primary School student Jude Flynn, 5, was asked about the election, he thought for a only moment before bunching up his face and asking ‘‘What’s ‘election’?’’

The North Shore Times spoke to children from three schools across the Shore to find out what they thought the big issues were this election year.

Jude’s demands were a little more simplistic: ‘‘If there’s a crack in the ground, and there’s a big hole and people are not looking by, I think they should fix it.’’

Albany Junior High School student Callum Maxwell, 11, said, if he were prime minister, he was lower the voting age to 12.

‘‘We’d be more educated on it [politics] if we were allowed to vote,’’ he said. His other campaign promise would be ice cream for all.

Murrays Bay Intermediate School student Hannah Clausen, 12, also thought the age should be lowered, but said changing it to students in year 13 would be a good compromise.

‘‘If you’re able to vote while at school, then that means you’re getting more information, you have access to more.’’

The top issues the youngsters wanted the Government to address were pollution, followed by housing and transport.

Northcote Primary School pupil Lottie Penney, 10, wanted littering on beaches stopped, while 9-year-old schoolmate Mila Banks wanted Kiwis to cut down on fishing

Abby wanted a ‘‘clean, green New Zealand,’’ and reasonable student loan rates.

‘‘Our students, especially ones going to university, because that’s affecting me in the near future … to not give them so much interest on their loan, because I know it’s hard for them to pay back when they’re studying as well.’’

For Murrays Bay student Julia Lim, 13, poverty and city drinking were on her mind. Classmate Amy Wang, 12, said she been getting informed about the election at school:

‘‘It’s a month away from the election and everyone is trying very hard to stay in parliament or to get into parliament,’’ she said.

Albany Junior High School student Mason Benge, 12, thought National was ahead, while Hannah thought the party’s popularity was ‘‘in the air’’.

‘‘[L]abour’s been doing pretty well with Jacinda, because she’s been going out quite a bit,’’ she said.

FELICITY REID Hannah Clausen, 12, thinks transport is an important election issue.