Priorities for Eden-Monaro candidates to the fore at Bermagui federal election forum

Hosted by Clean Energy for Eternity and the Bermagui Community Forum, the Sunday morning event was held at the Bermagui Country Club with a small but engaged audience.

Candidates in attendance included the sitting Member for Eden-Monaro, Labor's Kristy McBain as well as Greg Butler (Democrats), Darren Garnon (United Australia Party), Vivian Harris (Greens), James Holgate (Sustainable Australia Party), Toni McLennan (Informed Medical Options) and Andrew Thaler (Independent).

Moderator Bill Southwood said he had apologies from Liberal-Democrat Maxwell Holmes and Liberal candidate Jerry Nockles - who did not attend last week's forum in Merimbula either. Mr Southwood also said he had not heard from, nor could find any public information on, Pauline Hanson's One Nation candidate Boyd Shannon.

After the candidates had made their introductory "sales pitch" to voters, the host organisations had first option on posing questions.

After briefly summarising CEFE's aims, Hannah Angus asked candidates whether they accepted the science behind climate change and their policy on fossil-fuelled power.

Answers ranged from "stop it now" to more measured approaches to getting renewables in place first.

Geoff Steel, president of the BCF, asked candidates to state which two investments they would prioritise for residents along the coast of the electorate if elected.

Aged care was a common thread through several of the candidates, particularly the idea of "ageing in place" - support for our elderly population in their own homes.

Telecommunications was also key for candidates including Ms McBain, Mr Thaler and Mr Butler.

Mr Butler said improved funding for local regional councils would be his second priority, while Mr Holgate wanted to see a rail line linking Eden and Canberra.

Ms McLennan said she wanted to see the region a leader in innovation and a renewable energy/tech hub set up. Mr Garnon said he would focus on stopping large-scale trawling in our waters as well as look at affordable housing.

Affordable housing was also the major tenet of Ms Harris, who said the Greens would also look to bring dental and mental health into the public heath system.

Among questions from the audience were issues including the need for an independent corruption watchdog for government - "a federal commission into corruption with real teeth" - and a greater transparency around political donations (or indeed the banning of such) and "pork-barrelling".

While there appeared wide support among the candidates present for a federal corruption watchdog, pork-barrelling was said to be a more complex issue by Ms McBain, who argued that at times some electorates were "clearly in more need than others" for government assistance.

There were also audience members keen to see what candidates thought of enshrining freedom of speech in a bill of rights, and claims of media bias and censorship "feeding the government narrative".

Support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart was also gauged, as was a call for an end to native forest logging.

Again this became more than a yes or no response, with Mr Thaler saying care needed to be taken if moving to a "mono-culture" in our environment, while Ms McBain said there was a place for both plantation and native forest logging - "two of the biggest industries in E-M" - if done sustainably.

Mr Southwood thanked the audience, candidates, Bega District News, which live streamed the event, and the Bermagui Country Club "for making this session enjoyable and informative".

A full replay of the forum's live stream is available to watch below or on the BDN Facebook page.

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