11 September 2024

Canberra decides: Region's live-streamed election forums to put candidates on the spot, and you can ask questions too

| Ian Bushnell
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Genevieve Jacobs making a speech

Former Region Group Editor and now hands Across Canberra CEO Genevieve Jacobs will moderate Region’s election forums. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.

With the October election campaign officially starting this Friday, the community has an opportunity to run an interactive ruler over the key parties in a series of online candidates forums hosted by Region.

To be streamed live on Riotact’s Facebook page, the forums will cover three broad themes and take place on 11, 18 and 25 September from 6 pm to 7 pm, with former Region Group Editor and now Hands Across Canberra CEO Genevieve Jacobs moderating.

Lonsdale St. Studio in Braddon will host the event.

Candidates from ACT Labor, the ACT Greens, Canberra Liberals and Independents for Canberra have agreed to participate and be grilled by Canberra Business Chamber Board Chair Archie Tsirimokos, ACTCOSS CEO Dr Devon Bowles and political author and journalist Professor Chris Wallace from the University of Canberra, as well as Jacobs, who will keep everybody on track.

The public can also post their questions online (or comment under this article) for Jacobs to relay to the candidates.

READ ALSO Labor hopes fare-free Fridays are just the ticket to get more Canberrans on public transport

The first debate will cover business and the economy and include Independents for Canberra candidate in Ginninderra Leanne Foresti, Greens candidate in Kurrajong Jillian Reid, the Canberra Liberals frontbencher and Yerrabi MLA Leanne Castley, and ACT Labor’s Martin Greenwood, running in Kurrajong.

The second will be an all-Kurrajong affair on Canberra’s future with Independents for Canberra leader Thomas Emerson, ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury, Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee and Chief Minister Andrew Barr.

The third and final debate will cover the cost of living and include Independents for Canberra candidate in Brindabella Dr Vanessa Picker, ACT Greens Deputy Leader Rebecca Vassarotti, who is contesting Kurrajong, Liberal MLA in Murrumbidgee Ed Cocks and Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry.

Viewers will have the opportunity to interact beyond posting questions and comments. They will be asked to state their voting intentions at the beginning and the end of the debate and whether the process has changed their positions via Slido.

Jacobs said the emergence of a strong independents movement and a renovated Canberra Liberals at the same time as Labor seeks a sixth term pointed to one of the most interesting elections for some time.

“How does a government that’s been in power for a very long time provide something fresh and energised and new?” Jacobs said.

“But conversely, how do the Greens, who supported them much of that time, distinguish themselves in a meaningful way?

“What is the significance of the independents who look like a force that’s harnessing some real momentum in Canberra, and can the Liberal Party make the best of this opportunity for real change?”

woman with black t-shirt and glasses

Political author and journalist Professor Chris Wallace from the University of Canberra will be on the panel. Photo: Supplied.

Jacobs said rather than follow the usual debate format and focus on particular seats, Region believed it would be more engaging to have a panel of experts quiz candidates on the big issues and take audience questions in real-time as well.

“We’ve opted for a series of quite broad themes because this seems like a fairly pivotal point in Canberra’s political history,” Jacobs said.

“We’re looking at the cost of living crisis and how tough it is for Canberrans. Obviously, for me, as the CEO of Hands Across Canberra, that’s an important anchor point, and we understand the difficulties that Canberrans face every day.

“We’re going to be looking at Canberra’s economic drivers, and those are changing substantially in the transition away from the public service sector, the growth of the knowledge economy, how well that’s working across the community as a whole, and then we’re going to be looking at Canberra’s future.

“It’s going to be about mapping the future out when our population quickly reaches half a million or more, what it looks like from there onwards, and how the decisions of those who might be in charge will affect that growth.”

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Jacobs said it was less about meeting the candidates and more about meeting the ideas to give voters the policies, the ideas that Canberra will decide on come 19 October.

However, voters would be able to assess candidates’ characters, authenticity, and ability to answer quickly, clearly and honestly.

“We’re here to find out the facts, not to do anyone favours,” Jacobs said.

The forums will also be posted to Region’s YouTube channel after the debate.

Tune in to the live-streamed events on Facebook here.

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Why was the First Nations Party leader not invited?

A question specifically for Shane Rattenbury. In the RiotACT article by Oliver Jacques Mr Rattenbury was quoted as saying “the Greens are a real alternative for people in Canberra”. Given his party has been part of a Government coalition for the last several terms how will they act differently if elected in the next? Will the Greens again form a Coalition with Labor or if the non-majority partner would they prefer to sit on the crossbench?

My daughter and son were born in Australia, as were both parents and three of their four grandparents.

They have never lived anywhere else, only have Australian citizenship and have no right of return to any other nation.

My question is, where is their homeland, the country where they have equal legal rights with all other citizens instead of having less legal rights than some?

Questions about the three year old preschool program:

The Three-Year-Old Preschool Initiative was launched with the promise of expanding early childhood education. However, many early childhood centres have reported that the funding provided is insufficient to cover the actual costs of delivering the program, leading to financial strain and even program discontinuation. How do you plan to address this funding shortfall to ensure that centres can sustainably offer this vital program without risking their operations?

There have been concerns that the way funding was structured for the Three-Year-Old Preschool Initiative resulted in lower-income families receiving less of a discount compared to higher-income families. This has raised questions about the equity of the program. How will you ensure that funding for early childhood education is distributed more equitably, so that it truly benefits families who need it most?

Many in the community were led to believe that the Three-Year-Old Preschool Initiative offered free preschool, only to find out that it was barely discounted. This discrepancy has caused confusion and frustration among families and services. What steps will you take to ensure that government programs are advertised transparently, so that families have a clear and accurate understanding of what is being offered?

Given the challenges faced by some early childhood centres in sustaining the Three-Year-Old Preschool Initiative, what long-term strategies will you implement to ensure that early childhood services receive the necessary support, both in terms of funding and resources, to continue providing high-quality education without compromising their financial stability or the well-being of their educators?

davidmaywald1:00 am 11 Sep 24

It’s great to see Riotact hosting these debates. May the Canberra community win from this exercise in democracy, and competition for superior ideas/policies.

How are candidates if in office (as MLAs) going to facilitate Canberrans participation in the policy development and implementation that they are advocating?
How are they going to report back to their constituents how they are effectively representing them (us)?

Nathan Naicker5:29 pm 10 Sep 24

Some of my favourite IFC policies:
– Two mobile offices per month hosted by each successful MLA.

– Hosting quarterly community forums.

– Publishing a voting record with an explanation of each vote on our website.

– Sharing regular status updates on our commitments through our mailing list and on our website.

Great idea RiotAct! Some initial questions below:
– How will the candidate/party (CP) work with the private sector where they propose public/private partnerships to improve Canberra infrastructure such as the recent Fyshwick light rail plan and Canberra Entertainment precinct?
– How will the CP ensure transparency in decision making to help inform constituents on how public funds are being used?
– How will the CP work with the Federal Government to ensure the ACT gets a fair share of Federal infrastructure funding?
– How will the CP work to differentiate Canberra business/employment opportunities beyond the public sector making use of the skills of all Canberrans?
– How will the CP work to expedite timelines for infrastructure projects such as the tram or a new stadium?

You should probably rethink your abbreviation there….

What did I clash with Ken?

Why haven’t you invited Fiona Carrick, the Independent most likely to be elected?

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