Nelson Cathedral Dean Graham O'Brien with from left Labour MP Rachel Boyack, Green Party Candidate Jace Hobbs, National Party candidate Blair Cameron and ACT MP Chris Bailie. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
National is making a bid to reclaim the Nelson electorate seat that was blue for 24 years.
Labour's Rachel Boyack ousted Nick Smith in 2020 - and now Blair Cameron is vying for a shot at the role.
At a meet the candidates' event at Nelson Cathedral on Wednesday, Cameron told the crowd he was raised in Methven, where his mum was a school teacher and his dad worked behind the bar in the local working men's club.
At 16, he got a scholarship to the United World College of Hong Kong, where he finished his schooling, before going on to study international relations at Brown University.
He then spent time working at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He wasted no time at the candidates' meeting criticising government spending.
National Party candidate Blair Cameron Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
"A couple of years ago we were $5 billion in debt, now we're about $76 billion in debt and we're on track to reach $100 billion of debt in the next couple of years.
"It's going to be us paying that money back in the future, if only we had something to show for it, if only we had good infrastructure built with that money, if only we had a stronger education system built from that money, if only we had a new hospital, better health services, but most of that money has gone to waste."
Labour's Rachel Boyack was forced to go on the defensive before the crowd of about 80 people seated in the cathedral pews.
"We do have net debt that needs to be brought down, there's no doubt about it, but our approach to Covid through using things like the wage subsidy, saved lives and saved jobs.
"Yes, we will have to pay it back, but those were the tough decisions we made at the time because it was in the interests of New Zealand for the long term."
Labour candidate Rachel Boyack Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
When Cameron accused Boyack of trying to "pull the wool over your eyes on the on the debt issue", she came back with figures showing New Zealand's net debt was just over 20 percent of its GDP, according to the IMF, which was the fourth lowest on a chart of developed countries.
She also told the crowd that enabling works on the Nelson Hospital rebuild project had indeed begun, after Cameron said; "I'm sure people will be aware of another infrastructure project that was promised construction would start this year, under this government, that's now been delayed until 2026".
A former union organiser, Boyack said the cost of living crisis remained a major issue and Labour's Fair Pay Agreements, which ensured workers within industries received the same minimum terms of employment, were at risk under National and Act.
"For some of our bus drivers, cleaners, security guards, people who kept this country going during Covid, the opportunity for those people to get a decent wage and income through our fair pay agreement process will be gone."
The ACT Party's Chris Bailie Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
The ACT Party's Chris Bailie, a former teacher, policeman and now a small business owner, said the country was facing a crime crisis.
"I went and visited a dairy owner today in Milton Street who had her dairy ram raided. It was the second ram raid, robbery, in two years that she had gone through and she was scared every day going to work.
"It just didn't happen when I was growing up and it shouldn't be happening now."
He wants to see a tougher approach to crime.
"We need to treat criminals like criminals, however they need to have the chance to rehabilitate and be able to contribute to society."
Green Party Candidate Jace Hobbs Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Green Party candidate Jace Hobbs, who used to own an electric bike business, was focused on pushing his party's wealth tax.
"The burden of taxation actually arrives on the middle class, because the very wealthiest among us actually have little loopholes that the IRD identified and the Greens have taken that and reworked it in a way that National and ACT would never do."
He made it clear several times that he wasn't trying to convince people to vote for him.
"We already have an excellent, experienced, dedicated candidate from the Nelson region who has been doing a bang-up job and we need to return Rachel Boyack to parliament."
The crowd did not give much away - but it is clear that come election day, it will be an interesting race in Nelson.