Labour's Little in poll jolt

New Plymouth's history as a litmus test on election day looks set to continue.

In a surprise result after last night's Taranaki Daily News candidate debate, an exit poll of those attending gave Labour's Andrew Little a resounding thumbs-up for his performance.

The poll asked the audience to rate who fared best on the night and Mr Little won 60 of the 93 votes cast. National's Jonathan Young received 26 and the Green Party's Geoff Steedman, who has been campaigning only for the party vote, received five ticks.

Independent candidate Rusty Kane was given floor time for an opening and closing address but was not part of the debate or the exit poll yet earned two votes.

While far from scientific, the poll highlights the New Plymouth seat will not be any easier for Mr Young to win than when he pipped incumbent Harry Duynhoven by 105 votes in 2008. That was the closest result of any electorate three years ago.

With the election 10 days away, last night's debate and the exit poll result shows the race for the New Plymouth seat is likely to go down to the wire.

Last night's debate was the last major opportunity for the city seat's hopefuls to push their point.

There was a mixture of national and local issues and many of the candidates' answers were well rehearsed.

One curly question for Mr Little centered on whether he wanted to be prime minister and how the top job would affect his job as New Plymouth MP.

Rumours have Mr Little as the next Labour Party leader and it took time for him to convince the audience of his intentions.

Repeated calls for him to answer the question, drew the repetitive retort that he had a desire to represent the electorate and hold a senior position in Parliament and Government.

Mr Young did not get an easy run from the Labour Party hecklers that have caused the most disruption in the string of debates over the past few weeks.

Labour Party chairman Ross Henderson offered an opportunity for candidates to win his vote if they could answer how they would solve the issue of increasing wealth at the top end of earners.

Mr Young rose to the occasion. "This is the biggest challenge of my life, trying to get Ross Henderson's vote. I had it once when he was my basketball coach at high school."

"You were a better basketballer than you are a politician," was the quick response from the flag-waving Labour champion.

But Mr Young bit back, saying the wealthy had a right to want to leave a legacy for their children and it was for government to encourage strong stewardship of that wealth. A sizeable applause followed.

Mr Little tried to dismiss claims he would live in Wellington rather than New Plymouth by detailing why his roots are firmly in Taranaki soil.

He said his mother lived here and his father was buried here.

The candidates' final sprint to the finish had it all.

Mr Young gifted his ear to the New Plymouth people, Mr Little shadow-boxed and cage-rattled to the line and Mr Steedman promised clean rivers in which to swim.