As part of a series leading up to the General Election, SunLive is asking candidates from Tauranga, Bay of Plenty and the Coromandel electorates about issues facing Kiwis across the region.

In this article, Bay of Plenty candidates are answering how they would tackle food costs to the question: ‘How would you support healthy food affordability in New Zealand amid our cost of living crisis?’

Labour Party Bay of Plenty candidate Pare Taikato says: “We [Labour] are committed to our nine point pledge outlining nine measures that we will implement if we are re-elected to Government in October”.

“Our pledge to New Zealanders includes measures that continue to provide cost of living relief such as the removal of the GST component off all fruit and vegetables. Families will save around $20 a month from April 2024, making healthy eating easier and building the foundations for a healthy life.”

National Party Bay of Plenty candidate Tom Rutherford says National’s proposed “meaningful tax relief” will help “hardworking New Zealanders” with the cost of living. “In our Back Pocket Boost plan, a working couple with kids would receive up to $250 a fortnight.

“We’ll stop the wasteful spending driving up inflation and the cost of living, and we’ll stop adding unnecessary costs to our farmers, which just end up being passed on to consumers.”

Green Party Bay of Plenty candidate Matthew Macmillan says with an “increasingly unstable climate”, it seems likely “we will have ongoing varied impacts” on food prices and security. “In this sense the word ‘crisis’ is inappropriate as it implies a critical but passing event rather than the long-term shift it is likely to be.”

“Green policy, centred on social responsibility, is geared precisely to the changes we face in the coming decades. In particular, a Minimum Basic Income will ensure those most vulnerable to higher costs will always be able to afford healthy food.”

ACT Party Bay of Plenty candidate Cameron Luxton points to “too much money chasing too few goods” as the root cause of high food prices. “The Government has borrowed and spent far too much money, resulting in prices soaring. The only solution for the cost of living crisis is restraining wasteful government spending and tax cuts that leave people with more of their money.”

Leighton Baker Party Bay of Plenty candidate Wendy Gillespie says New Zealand needs to “bring back” the “New Zealand owned, grown, produced” primary sector. “The Government has let growers and food producers down by not supporting them to grow more food.

“Instead they have allowed overseas big conglomerate supermarkets, food processors to take over our food sector...We need to be self-sufficient food-wise; we have an amazing climate that can grow almost anything. We have to take back ownership of our primary sector. Only then can the Government control the escalating food prices.”

Animal Justice Party Bay of Plenty candidate Caitlin Grattan says: “Making healthy, plant-based food affordable is vital. Removing tax on fruit and vegetables is a good start. I’m confident we can build on this to ensure access to healthy food is achievable for all New Zealanders”.

New Zealand First Bay of Plenty candidate Kirsten Murfitt says her party is “committed to removing GST off basic foods including meat, dairy, fish, fruit, & vegetables which will make healthy food more affordable”.

“I almost fell over a few months back when I went to buy a 1kg block of tasty cheese and it was over $20.00. Affordable healthy food is an investment and will pay off down the line in terms of the health of Kiwis.”

SunLive has apporached Bay of Plenty independent candidate Taupo Wahed for comment.