Ashburton Courier: August 24, 2023

THURSDAY, 24AUGUST, 2023 |THE GERALDINE NEWS |PAGE 5
GENERAL ELECTION 2023
GNews is featuring Waitaki and Rangitātā electorate candidates in the weeks leading up to the 14 October general election.
Green Party: Pleasance Hansen
Pleasance Hansen is the GreenPartys Waitaki
electorate candidate. Shes aleadership coach
with abackground that includes growing up on
adairy farm,driving buses, and teaching.
What is your top priority this General
Election?
To bring the focus back to the environment
and nature. Webelieve and know that we
depend on nature for our economy. Theyre
inextricably linked. Related to that, its about
helping New Zealand meet its commitment to
halting our emissions by 2030.
How will your party make housing more
available?
We want to support first home buyers
financially, and we would put in healthy air
standards -proper ventilation in every home -
within the first 100 days. We want to halt the
exorbitantrise inrents; tokeep it below three
per cent rise per year. And tointroduce a
warrantoffitness for landlords and landladies.
Whatwill improve New Zealands delivery
in the health sector?
The Green Party believes the rural sector is
poorlyserved. We want to increase funding for
Pharmac, and we want to hear what our rural
people need as health priorities. We would be
led by what thecommunitytells us; thats how
theGreens work.
New Zealand students performance in
reading, maths, and science in PISA
[Programme for International Student
Assessment run by the OECD] shows
longer-term decline. How will your party
address this?
Teachers need good working conditions,
which are the working environment for
children. Wewant school lunches for every
kid. We were pleased to see physics, chemistry,
and biology put back into the draft science
curriculum. Reading and maths and science
are still the fundamentals Lets go backand
look at what we were doing exceptionally well
when we had someofthehigheststandardsof
literacy in the world.
What are the main issues confronting the
primary sector?
One ofthe biggest issues isthe crippling
debt they [farmers] carry. We want to
negotiate with banks to change their financial
structures toget lower interest loans to help
farmers. New Zealand is dependent on
farming. Also, we want to help farmers
transition to awiderrange ofincome streams,
with afocus on regenerative farming.
What is your party offering that will
improve the lives ofpeople inGeraldine?
We need to encourage slow tourism: for
people to come to Geraldine and stay for a
couple of days.Its better for the environment
and the local economy. We are committed to
extending Jobs for Nature; we are also
committed to becoming predator-free by
2050. Theyre commitments tothe natural
environment that will improve life for people.
And the healthy air standards will improve
peoples lives Our guaranteed minimum
incomewould give $64per month to everyone
on aGoldCard.
To learn more about Pleasance Hansen, go
to greens.org.nz/pleasance_hansen_2023.
JAN FINLAYSON
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DemocracyNZ: Roger Small
DemocracyNZs Waitaki electorate candidate
is Waimate farmer Roger Small. He has a
cropping and lamb fattening operation and
chairs the Waihou Wainono Catchment
Community Group.
What is your top priority this General
Election?
Im very concerned about centralisation and
loss of democracy for our small communities.
Especiallyaround Three Watersand theNatural
and Built Environment Bill. Also, the Bill of
Rights;wewant to see it preserved andprotected
and madestronger than it currentlyis. Andwed
like to see race taken out ofeverything and for
everything tobebased on need; for us all to be
treated as one andnot divided.
How will your party make housing more
available?
Theres a lack of rental properties for
workers. The tenancy laws are verystrong, and
they almost favour the tenant rather than the
property owner. Theres noincentive for the
property ownertorent thepropertiesout. We
would make itso that the law was fair to both
parties.And wedsee more houses built where
theyre needed; thats for the private sector.
What will improve New Zealands delivery
in the health sector?
We need tohave more nurses and doctors
being trained. Quotasaround ethnicities need
to stop. Also, we need to get away from the
dual health authorities and treat us as one. We
want to see prioritygiven to the front line. We
would like to see more emphasis on a
preventative and holistic approach to health.
New Zealand students performance in
reading, maths, and science in PISA
(Programme for International Student
Assessment run by the OECD] shows
longer-term decline. How will your party
address this?
We want the education system toget back
to basics: reading, writing,and arithmetic. And
pathways to employment so students arent
doing extra subjects thatdont helpthemwhen
they get into the real world. They should be
learning about managing finances and how to
go down pathways theyre interested in. The
whole schooling thing has got to be practical;
aplace theyd like togoand learn and feel
empowered so that itsgiving them adirection
in life.
What are the main issues confronting the
primary sector?
The loss of property rights for farmers and
landowners through SNAs [Significant Natural
Areas] aswell asthe National Policy Statement
for[Indigenous] Biodiversity, the Sites andAreas
of Significance to Maori, andthe NationalPolicy
Statement for Freshwater [Management]. The
RMA [ResourceManagement Act 1991] needsto
be reformed.
We would repeal and replace the 2002
Carbon [ClimateChange] ResponseAct.Theres
focus on tree planting, but alot of the land is
good productive land, and some has alot of
biodiversity. We think we should focusonbeing
resilientand adapting to weatherevents. Were
not going to change the climate here inNew
Zealand. [Our] farmers are very efficient at
producing food for the world, and ifwestop
production, countrieslessefficient than ourswill
fill thevoid,which willhaveawarmingeffect.
What is your party offering that will
improve the lives of people in Geraldine?
We need to reduce inflation. And we need
to make sure the people can have involvement
in the things that affect Geraldine. We would
make sure funds are going to the right places;
for health services and other things the
community needs.
To learn more about Roger Small, visit
his campaigns Facebook page or email
Roger.Small@democracynz.org.
JAN FINLAYSON