16 September 2019
Christchurch mayoral contenders go head to head in live New Zealand Herald Newstalk ZB debate

Newstalk ZB’s Christchurch Morning host Chris Lynch is promising Christchurch mayoral contenders Lianne Dalziel, John Minto and Darryll Park a grilling in tomorrow night’s live NZ Herald Newstalk ZB debate.

“With Dalziel seeking a third term and playing the stability card, Minto seeking redemption after being trounced by Dalziel in the 2016 elections and newcomer Park trying to make a name for himself, this promises to be a ‘no holds barred’ kind of event,” says Lynch.

Tomorrow night (Tuesday 17 September) from 7pm the “Lianne vs Minto vs Park” special will be livestreamed at nzherald.co.nz and newstalkzb.co.nz and broadcast live on Newstalk ZB Christchurch 100.1 FM and iHeartRadio, all part of the New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) group.

Audiences are invited to take part in the hour-long Christchurch election special by emailing questions to mayoraldebate@nzme.co.nz or by commenting on the Herald’s Facebook post about the event.

“Like our Goff vs Tamihere event in Auckland, this is a great opportunity for voters to see how convincingly their candidates articulate campaign promises and perform under fire. Judging from the Auckland debate, and given this time there’s a trio in the studio, we should see plenty of colourful action,” says NZME Head of Talk, Jason Winstanley.

For Lynch, moderating a mayoral debate in the city he broadcasts to each weekday gives him the chance to test the candidates against a range of issues he’s intimately aware of.

“I hear from callers every day about the good, the bad and the ugly in Christchurch. They’re issues that are often very specific to the city. I promise none of the candidates will be let off the hook,” says Lynch.

Reaction and analysis will be available the following day on Canterbury Mornings with Newstalk ZB's Mike Yardley.
A third live NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB mayoral debate, hosted by Heather du Plessis-Allan, will be held in Wellington on 26 September.

ENDS

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