Candidates go head-to-head

HEAR FROM YOUR CANDIDATES... Nine of the 11 candidates for the Federal seat of Nicholls answered questions at a forum last week. Photo: Deanne Jeffers.

YOUNG people, the environment, trust in democracy, and climate change were at the heart of the political forum and debate, when candidates for Nicholls met at Riverlinks Eastbank last week.

The candidate’s forum for the seat of Nicholls was held by the Committee for Greater Shepparton and Shepparton News, with Committee CEO Linda Nieuwenhuizen and News chief correspondent Darren Linton hosting the event.

Nine of 11 candidates were in attendance to answer questions from an audience of more than 200. In ballot order, these were the Nationals’ Sam Birrell, One Nations’ Rikkie-Lee Tyrell, Labor’s Bill Lodwick, Australian Citizen Party’s Jeff Davy, United Australia’s Robert Peterson, Ian Christoe of the Greens, Andrea Otto from the Fusion Party, the Liberal’s Steve Brooks, and independent Rob Priestly.

Each candidate had one minute to respond, with some questions levelled at specific candidates and most answered by the entire panel.
One main line of enquiry circled around cost-of-living pressures. Sam Birrell praised the recent fuel excise, but other candidates say more needs to be done.

Labor’s Bill Lodwick proposed that large corporations must be taxed to fund better health and aged care. Jeff Davy of the Citizen’s Party, a former dairy farmer says that Liberal policies have, “decimated regional industries.”

Climate and water policy were other ‘hot topics’, as candidates fought to strike balance between supporting industry and protecting our environment. United Australia’s Robert Peterson, for example, was adamant in maintaining 80 percent usual fossil fuel production until renewables are reliable, to ramp up manufacturing while avoiding rising power costs.

Rikkie-Lee Tyrell announced One Nation is set to release a reformed Murray-Darling Basin Plan, she also said that it is the belief of the party that climate change is a hoax invented for government subsidies.

“Is water an issue for which you would cross the floor?” Darren Linton asked Sam Birrell, Steve Brooks, and Rob Priestly.

Mr Brooks said that he would always vote with his community first, Mr Birrell answered a clear, “Yes,” and Rob said due to the major parties holding dominant seats in other states, they would have no hope of progress.

“It’s not that the party doesn’t understand – they understand, it’s just that we don’t hold the numbers, so in the end, our vote gets rolled in with the party.”

Labor was not safe from the independent’s remark, when Rob pointed out that Labor’s reforms to water, including the SES neutrality test, has in fact hurt people and the region.

“I will use my leverage every step of the way, on both sides of power to make sure that this doesn’t happen,” said Mr Priestly.

The Committee for Greater Shepparton have provided a video of the forum free on YouTube for those that missed it. Watch all the action by going to www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZu5IjPY3Pk

HEAR FROM YOUR CANDIDATES… Nine of the 11 candidates for the Federal seat of Nicholls answered questions at a forum last week. Photo: Deanne Jeffers.