The four mayoral candidates that Tauranga Business Chamber members want to hear from most will face off in a debate this month.
Greg Brownless, Mahe Drysdale, Ria Hall and Tina Salisbury have been confirmed for the event, which will be facilitated by Chamber CEO Matt Cowley on Wednesday 26 June.
Chamber members were polled this month on who they most wanted to participate in the debate, and were asked to choose their preferred candidate from the list.
“On Monday 17 June, we initially selected the top three candidates to match the number of microphones the venue had available for the livestream. However, as there were just two votes separating second, third and fourth, we’ve decided to support our members’ close result by including Tina Salisbury to join the three previously announced participants.”
Cowley says it’s time the candidates were put into the spotlight and dig beneath the campaign slogans to find out where they stand on key issues. “We’re really looking forward to getting them into a room and putting some tough questions to them before voting begins,” Mr Cowley says.
“The outcome of this election binds us for four years. Hearing from these candidates on issues that matter most to our business members promises to be an insightful look into how they would lead Tauranga City Council if they are elected.”
Topics including leadership styles, managing growth, and the city’s future direction will be covered at the event at the University of Waikato campus on Durham Street.
“We also polled our wider business audience in May to understand their priorities for the incoming Council. Traffic, housing, the city centre, and reducing the compliance costs for businesses to operate were key concerns,” Mr Cowley explains.
“The incoming elected members will have to hit the ground running on these issues, and more. Big calls will need to be made, and there will likely be many fresh faces with little local government experience being thrown in the deep end.
“It’s time to bring this election to life and hear about some of the leading mayoral candidates, and their plans for Tauranga, ahead of voting papers being delivered.”
The debate starts from 5pm and will be open to the Chamber’s business members: click here to register. Additionally, a livestream will be available for the wider public to watch from the comfort of their homes or offices.
Keep an eye on Tauranga Business Chamber’s Facebook and LinkedIn for the livestream from 4.30pm.
Tauranga Business Chamber encourages all voters to take a look at all the candidates before voting. A good place to start is Tauranga City Council’s website: https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/council/about-your-council/elections-2024
The Chamber also encourages voters to look at the It’s in the Ballot livestream event series, found here: https://www.youtube.com/@itsintheballot3644
