Leaders Debate Full of Good Humour (Watch Video)

There was a distinctive youth element that came out of the Leader’s Debate in Invercargill last night, with an almost even balance of male/female candidates as well.

Between them they covered a broad cross-section of New Zealand issues involving health, Maori, Climate, business and farming.

There was also plenty of humour to entertain the 100-strong crowd with Basil Walker the first to be given a crayfish for speaking over 1 minute, telling co-host Phil McCarthy to “stick it up his arse.”

The candidates – Liz Craig, Winsome Aroha, Josh Honiss, Rochelle Francis, Penny Simmonds, Joshua Gunn, Basil Walker, Kurt Rolhoff and Zy Hayden, all stood out in different ways as they introduced themselves.

Penny Simmonds spoke strongly about her plans to undo the polytech merger and save SIT – under National, Joshua Gunn for New Zealand First was gunning for the party vote.

Basil Walker said he’d “kicked the can” of every other MP in the country who’d tried to save Tiwai, Kurt Rolhoff called himself the “fish n chip New Zealander,” and Zy Hayden admitted to not even being politically correct, let alone a politician.

Nothing like a bit of honesty to win some votes.