The contentious issue of New Zealand's welfare system sparked lively debate during Monday night's forum, with candidates expressing strongly opposing viewpoints.
Candidates were responding to the pre-set question, "In your opinion, does our welfare system adequately support those in need and, if not, what would you and your party do to remedy this?"
Most agreed there were issues with the current welfare system, particularly around affordability, but policies and opinions on how to improve the situation varied widely.
Strengthening the economy, family support, restoring the training incentive allowance, and wrapping support around vulnerable families were all put forward as solutions.
Act candidate for Dunedin South Kimberly Hannah told the meeting the welfare system was "broken" and was "failing those most in need".
Her contention that many people on welfare fell into illegal drug use and were trapped in the system was met with howls of outrage from fellow candidates and audience members alike.
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis candidate Julian Crawford said kicking people off the dole because they were using cannabis would be discriminatory. He felt that having a welfare system was a vital safety net.
Alliance candidate for Dunedin North Victor Billot was outraged, saying it was "easy to kick people when they are down".
The Alliance would stand by the people at the bottom with support to ensure that they could feed their children, he said.
Alliance candidate for Dunedin South Kay Murray said, "People on benefits are desperate for work, but there are not enough jobs. And when there is not enough work, there must be some means of support."
National's recently released welfare policy came in for some stern criticism from Labour, Greens and Alliance candidates, particularly in the area of the domestic purposes benefit and training allowances.
Greens co-leader Metiria Turei, standing in Dunedin North, told the meeting one of the few things she had in common with current Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett was both had needed support from the domestic purposes benefit as young single mothers and both had used the training incentive allowance to gain an education.
Paula Bennett would "kick that ladder away from people", while the Greens believed it was important to keep that social safety ladder in place.
"National will only punish people for being poor. It is disgraceful policy," she said.
Greens candidate for Dunedin South Shan Gallagher told the meeting the party was committed to decent work and a living wage for people, while also treating people with respect.
Someone might not be in paid work, but could be making a contribution to society through volunteering or raising children, he said.
United Future candidate for Dunedin North Peter George did not believe National was kicking people when they were down.
"Welfare is a very difficult issue - as a country we don't have enough money ... and we have to learn to live within our means," Mr George said.
"As a community we have to talk if we are to have a sustainable future."
Labour would not "pick on the poor", Dunedin South candidate Clare Curran told the crowd, but would restore the training incentive allowance.
"I don't know how forcing people off benefits into non-existent jobs would help," she said.
"The welfare system is a tough place to be right now, especially as the cost of living has gone up astronomically," Dunedin North Labour candidate David Clark said.
He raised the spectre of National's plan to sell state assets, saying the loss of future revenue from those organisations could lead to cuts in public services.
"National is dictating that our hospitals and universities will be downgraded," Mr Clark said.
"State asset sales are bad for everybody, but they are particularly bad for Dunedin."
National candidate for Dunedin North Michael Woodhouse refuted the criticism of his party's policies, saying that, in the face of the worst economic challenge in four generations, the Government had been able to increase all benefits.
National's welfare reforms meant the system would be wrapped around women on the DPB and would strive to "lift them up, not keep them down", Mr Woodhouse said.
National candidate for Dunedin South Joanna Hayes said the Government had taken responsibility to turn things around.
"We want to get people back to work," she said.
For Democrats for Social Credit candidates Jeremy Noble (Dunedin North) and Warren Voight (Dunedin South), the best approach to solving the welfare issue was to grow the New Zealand economy and create jobs.
New Zealand First candidate for Dunedin South Randall Ratana said the welfare state must be an umbrella to meet genuine need.
Restore All Things in Christ candidate for Dunedin South Robert Wansink highlighted the work of the early church in providing welfare support for people.