Affordable power doesn’t have to cost the earth, and no-one should have to choose between heating and eating.

To address the energy hardship crisis, our Green Party co-leaders Chloe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson last month launched our green energy policy “Power for all of us” here at Dunedin’s Gasworks Museum, for lower bills, cleaner energy and public ownership. Better is possible.

Dunedin’s Gasworks Museum was the perfect location to recognise the past and demonstrate what the future holds as we electrify everything we can, while providing warm cosy homes, and I am so proud of our plan to deliver for our community.

We have so much opportunity to do better, but right now the government’s austerity agenda is hitting hard here, with record homelessness and significant cost-of-living pressures hitting households.

Christopher Luxon’s government talked big on “localism” but has denied our local voices at every step, as they cancelled our Land and Water Plan, trimmed back the Southern hospital and denied us a voice in the form of local government to best serve our community.

I have met Energy Minister Simeon Brown to attempt to build a bi-partisan approach to solve energy hardship but he has refused to do any work on a National energy strategy and has cut funding from the extremely successful Warmer Kiwi Homes programme.

These cuts impact some of our most vulnerable, while rising fuel and food costs just increase the hardship further.

In Parliament we face a coalition government that mocks any action on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, any actions to reduce power prices and any actions to protect the environment.

The foreign minister makes racist statements in Parliament with no consequence and senior ministers regularly spout conspiracy theories and climate denialism, emulating United States President Donald Trump.

But I take heart from those I speak to while out door-knocking all around the city: people expect better from politicians and have had enough of this chaotic coalition government, where the coalition parties seem to spend as much time arguing between themselves as they do in legislating.

People are hungry for a change, but not just any change.

People are hungry for a government that will deliver for all of us, both now and in the future, a government that will deliver affordable lives, healthy nature and honest government.

What I’ve heard, loud and clear, is that power bills are too high, basics are too expensive and there are too few prospects for our youth.

But as our Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick said when she visited again this week, we’re ready to deliver, and we’re alongside you all — let’s make the election on November 7 count.