National candidate withdraws from several Auckland Central debates

National Party candidate for Auckland Central Candace Kinser has pulled out of multiple scheduled debates. Kinser missed a Karangahape Road Business Association event on 30 September, sending a written statement instead. She also withdrew from a 5 October head-to-head debate on 95bFM with Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.

Kinser stated her absence from the Karangahape Road event was due to a long-planned campaign trip to Great Barrier Island. Regarding the 95bFM interview, Kinser said she was hosting National finance spokesperson Nicola Willis in the electorate at that time. Kinser also confirmed she held a public meeting in Ponsonby during a Forest and Bird debate on Waiheke.

For the Waiheke debate, National sent Port Waikato candidate and environmental advisor Matthew Paul as a proxy. Chlöe Swarbrick commented that it must be difficult for National candidates to defend the party's record.

The Auckland Central electorate is facing changes due to boundary shifts, with parts of Mount Albert joining the area while Grafton and Newmarket move to Epsom. The seat was won by Swarbrick in 2023, beating National's Mahesh Muralidhar by nearly 4,000 votes.

Where reports differ

• One report identifies the National candidate as Candace Kinser, while another refers to her as Candice Kinser

Compiled from reports by The Post and RNZ.