National Party member Penny Simmonds, Labour Party member Dr Liz Craig, Green Party member Dave Kennedy, and ACT party member Todd Stevenson were each given a chance to speak at the event, organised by the Southland Property Investors Association, held at Harcourts Invercargill.
They were given seven minutes to engage the audience of about 20 people, followed by questions and answers from those in attendance.
Mr Kennedy was first up, and spoke at length about the need for quality housing in Southland.
"The Green Party’s policies are all designed to address a shortage of supply and limit rent increases for affordable rentals," he said.
He said while the National Party’s policies would see good returns for property investors, those with a "social conscience" and who "are truly concerned about our country’s very real housing crisis", should party vote Green.
Dr Craig spoke on her career as a public health doctor, and seeing first hand the thousands of sick children who had preventable conditions like skin infections and pneumonia due to their housing conditions.
"I spent a lot of time advocating for, particularly measures to increase families incomes, and also to make sure that people could have access to high-quality housing."
She said the Labour Party had made significant investments in transitional and public housing, as well as having built 30 new houses in Invercargill since 2017, with more in the pipeline should the party remain in power.
Mr Stevenson introduced himself as "the new kid on the block," having returned to Southland just two weeks ago after 17 years living in Australia.
He said he relocated from Sydney to Queenstown to contest the election because he saw the country was "on the wrong track".
"The private sector is the only way we’re actually going to be able to address the housing crisis in New Zealand. We actually need people like you in this room, actually providing the housing stops so we’re going to have affordable homes for renters."
ACT had "a whole suite of policies" that would make life easier for property investors, he said.
Mrs Simmonds opened her speech stating the country could not afford another three years of a Labour government.
"I read somewhere just recently that rugby has been taken over as a national sport by bashing landlords, because that’s been what’s happening the last few years."
She said the National Party would ensure the country’s economy could grow by ensuring removing a lot of the rules and regulations that "shackled" productive sectors.
"We need to let taxpayers keep more of their own money, because actually you spend a lot more wisely than any government does."
