Labour candidate for Northland, dyljam, today hosts a live Reddit AMA.

A user asks "What will Labour do for mental health if you win the next election?"

d: Very good question. Labour is and always has been the party for protecting healthcare in New Zealand, and ensuring that everyone has access to the best quality healthcare available, regardless of income. In regards to mental health, Labour will expand free counselling services, to ensure that as many Kiwis has access to these services as possible. We also have a 0 suicide target, as we work to ensure that everyone has access to professional help when they need it.

Somebody else asks "Hi dyljam, thank you for doing this AMA. I'd like to know what you will do for school funding if you win government."

d: Thank you for the question. Labour is committed to increasing funding for our schools right across the country. If we want our kids to have the tools to take on the world of tomorrow, then we need to provide them with the tools to learn today. We as a nation are kidding ourselves if we believe that we can teach students anything when our schools lack basic equipment, so much so that teachers are being forced to buy things such as pens, glue sticks and textbooks out of their own pockets. We will also increase teachers' salaries, not only because our teachers are overdue for a much-deserved payrise, but also to attract university students into the teaching profession. Education should never be seen as an expense, but rather as an investment in our future.

Another question reads "I am very concerned about fast-food advertising geared towards children, especially when we have such an obesity crisis on our hands right now. What will you do dyljam if elected to solve this problem?'

d: I don't believe there is one easy fix for the current obesity crisis we are experiencing. However, there is no doubt that we need swift action to improve the health of New Zealanders. 34% of New Zealanders aged over 15 are overweight and 32% are obese. These are shocking statistics. We believe that healthy eating starts in childhood, and as a result we will seek to prohibit the advertising of unhealthy foods towards children. We must act now to ensure that the next generation of Kiwis do not become the first to have a lower life expectancy than their parents.

dyljam answers another question, which states "Do you believe you can win Northland, and do you believe that Labour can form government at the next election?'

d: Yes and yes. I know that at the moment the polls are showing National ahead in Northland, and this has been the subject of much discussion by commentators and the media. However, when I go out and meet people on the street, in schools, universities, hospitals and workplaces, they all say the same thing. They all agree that New Zealand needs a Labour government at the next election. They all believe that we need to increase funding to health and education. They all believe that we need to look after our elderly, the disabled and the unemployed. But they also know we need a party which is economically responsible. A party which allows New Zealanders to reach their aspirations, and to improve their own financial situations. There is no doubt that New Zealand needs a Labour government, and I believe that we are very well positioned to get one."