Hampden's debate on the merit of New Zealand chasing economic growth is going ahead on February 19, with the Labour Party putting up a team to replace the National Party team withdrawn last year.
Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean responded to an invitation from the organisers with a team of herself, Invercargill MP Eric Roy and Selwyn MP Amy Adams to debate: "Because endless pursuit of economic growth is irrational, NZ should have a more sustainable policy of minimising dependence on fossil fuels".
The Hampden team for the debate was Australian economist Prof Richard Denniss, Associate Prof Susan Krumdieck (Canterbury University) and local environmental campaigner and journalist Murray Grimwood.
One of the organisers, Dugald MacTavish, suggested because of the strength of Hampden team, Mrs Dean should have at least one senior Cabinet minister.
That led Mrs Dean to suggest her team was not actually wanted "because they would not meet the standard of the Hampden team".
In December, she withdrew the team from the debate.
Mr MacTavish said the Labour Party candidate for the Waitaki electorate, Barry Monks, had put together a team of himself, Pete Hodgson (Dunedin North) and Clutha-Southland candidate Tat Loo.
Asked whether the Labour Party team was similar to that proposed by Mrs Dean, Mr MacTavish said it included Mr Hodgson, a senior Labour Party former Cabinet minister, which was what organisers hoped for the National Party team.
The Hampden team will take the affirmative view and the Labour Party team the negative.
