Northland Labour candidate, u/dyljam, today hosted a Reddit AMA allowing locals to ask him any question on a wide range of topics.

The first user asks "Why are you running in this election? Do you honestly believe that Labour can form government at this election?"

dyljam replies "I'm running in Northland because I do not believe that we can risk a National majority government. Over the past few terms, Labour and the Green Party have delivered sensible social and economic reforms, which have greatly increased equality in New Zealand. We cannot allow National to undo all of our good work. Do I think Labour can form government at this election? Yes. Yes, I do. Admittedly current opinion polling is looking pretty good for National right now, but the election is still a couple of days away, and I know it's very cliche, but the only poll that matters is the poll on election day."

Another person (or bot?) asks "What would Labour do, if you were in government, to address discrimination against LGBT people?"

dyljam answers "Excellent question. Labour is absolutely committed to ending discrimination against LGBT people in New Zealand. The Labour caucus is made up of a number of LGBT people, and it is this first-hand experience which drives us to work for better outcomes for all New Zealanders. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own country, and if elected, Labour will ensure that discrimination against LGBT people is illegal and stays illegal. It is illegal to discriminate against a person on the basis of race or gender, and we will ensure that it remains illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Labour will also LGBT education across New Zealand schools, to result in better respect and understanding. We believe that it is in our schools which is the best place to take meaningful action towards ending discrimination."

The next questioner asks "Hi dyljam, what would you do if elected to fix the congestion on our roads, as well as our ageing public transport system?"

dyljam: "Well, Labour recognises that our country is growing and with this comes the need for improved roads and railways. We have identified a need for an overhaul of our country's public transport system. As such, if elected, we are committing funding for the construction of new electric railway lines, as well as electrifying current rail lines not already electrified. On top of this, we will support upgrades to both freight rail lines, as well as road corridors. This will ensure that we are equipped to handle a growing population, and will see our economy continue to grow."

Another user asks "What can Labour do, if re-elected, to help solve our housing crisis?"

dyljam replies "We in Labour understand the difficulties involved in getting a place of your own. In the July budget, Labour increased funding for building new state homes, greatly assisting us to get on top of the homelessness crisis that we are seeing right across our country. And, if we're re-elected, we will continue to increase the number of state houses constructed. We will also introduce new programmes to get New Zealanders into places of their own, whether they be private rental, owned or state housing. We will do this because we believe all Kiwis deserve a roof over their heads, regardless of what their financial position may be."

The next question reads "Will you follow National in dis-empowering unions and slashing workers' pay if they participate in industrial action?"

dyljam answers "Absolutely not. This election, we are seeing National declare war on unions, and as a result, declare war on workers. Their 'militant union' rhetoric is just plain wrong. And their proposal to blackmail workers, so that employers can take their pay away from them for participating in industrial action, is simply barbaric. National want to put workers firmly under the thumb of big bosses. They are completely beholden to their big business mates. We in the Labour party, on the other hand, will fight for workers. We will oppose any attempt to disempower unions. We will also protect solidarity strikes, as we recognise this is an important feature of any free and fair democracy. In regards to workplace safety, we will ensure that our workplace safety laws are not just up to scratch, but are the very best. When you go to work, you should be able to safely return home again in one piece."

The next user asks "What about healthcare? Will Labour cut funding from our hospitals or ambulance services?"

dyljam: "No. Labour believes that every New Zealander deserves access to world-class healthcare, regardless of their income or socio-economic status. That's why, if we're elected, we will oppose all attempts to reduce funding from our hospitals, or privitise our healthcare system. We will always fight for a fair and efficient level of funding to ensure that our healthcare system operates effectively for everybody. Also, we want to ensure that those on the front line of our healthcare services are protected. So, if we are elected to government, we will ensure that paramedics are protected, whether they are in the regions or in the cities. We understand the vital role that paramedics have in our society, and we will work to ensure that they get home safely at the end of each shift."