About 50 people attended the event, organised by Grey Power Central Otago, to hear the views of the five candidates - MP Jacqui Dean, Glenda Alexander (Labour), Donald Aubrey (Conservative), Sue Coutts (Green) and Hessel van Wieren (Democrats for Social Credit).
Each of the candidates was given five minutes to address the audience and then answered questions from the floor. In response to a question about the allegations contained in Nicky Hager's Dirty Politics book and the follow-up stories, Mrs Dean said there were ''two election campaigns''.
''One is the left-wing conspiracy and the other is what's happening here today ... that's the campaign I want to be part of and the campaign I think New Zealanders want to hear about.''
Former Grey Power Central Otago president Allan Jackson asked about the aged care policies of each of the parties ''to ensure the safety and wellbeing of old people, especially in their own homes''.
He said hours of home help for elderly needing assistance to remain in their own homes had ''drastically reduced''. Some people were only receiving 30 minutes or an hour of home help a week and he believed the wages for workers were too low.
Mr Aubrey said there was ''no magic answer'' and his party believed the delivery of aged care warranted a full review.
''There are huge advantages with keeping elderly folk in situations they are comfortable with,'' he said. Mrs Dean said her Government had spent 60% more on aged care than the previous government and more money was continually being put into health care.
Wages for home-help workers were something negotiated between them and their employer.
Mr van Wieren said people were working harder in that industry for less money ''and I think the minimum wage is disgusting anyway''. It was important to provide elderly people remaining in their own homes with a high level of support, if they needed it, Ms Coutts said.
Ms Alexander said individualised plans were needed to look after the elderly in their own homes, in hospital or for respite care.
