The Debate
Mon, 10 Aug
|The Pā
Seven parties, one stage. On Monday 10 August, Te Piringa Student Events Association and Te Awa Kōtui Waikato Students' Union bring National, Labour, the Greens, ACT, Te Pāti Māori, NZ First and The Opportunities Party together at The Pā for Waikato's biggest pre-election debate.
Time & Location
10 Aug 2026, 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
The Pā, Gate 1/Knighton Road, Hillcrest, Hamilton 3216, New Zealand
Guests
About the event
Te Piringa Student Events Association, in partnership with Te Awa Kōtui Waikato Students' Union, is proud to present The Debate — a major pre-election event bringing together confirmed representatives from seven parties: Hon Tama Potaka (National), Georgie Dansey (Labour), Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke (Te Pāti Māori), Qiulae Wong (The Opportunities Party), Dr Parmjeet Parmar (ACT), Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan (Green), and Hon Casey Costello (New Zealand First).
Hosted by Sacha Coburn, the evening features three-minute policy pitches from each candidate, a moderated panel discussion, and a live audience Q&A on the issues that matter most to students — cost of living, climate change, immigration, taxation, and health and social policy.
Doors open at 5:30pm, with the debate starting at 6:00pm in Te Āhurutanga, the main function area of The Pā, University of Waikato — seating up to 1,200 people. Whether you're a first-time voter or just want to hear where each party stands,…