Unfortunately for Murwillumbah and Ballina residents interested in finding out their candidate’s policy positions there has been a clash of meet the candidates events tomorrow.
‘Incumbent Labor Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot and National Party candidate, Kimberly Hone will attend a Ballina “Meet the Candidates” forum run by the controversial “Freedom for Faith” Christian think tank that advocates against a total ban on gay conversion therapy,’ said event co-facilitator for the Murwillumbah meet the candidates organiser and Byron Environment Centre Convenor, Emma Briggs.
‘Both have refused to confirm their attendance on the same date for a “Candidates Meet the Community” forum in Murwillumbah, run by The Common Future Collective of nearly 20 local community groups, despite having been invited many weeks earlier, and even offered a choice of dates.’
It was reported in The Guardian during the last election (April 21, 2022) that Ms ‘Hone’s past Twitter posts include articles that describe transgender surgery as “mutilation”; articles questioning the parenting abilities of lesbian couples; articles that question human-made global heating; and claims in 2014 that “integration has failed”.’
Murwillumbah event
Greens candidate, Mandy Nolan and One Nation candidate, Ian Mye have confirmed their attendance and eighty people have so far registered for the meet the candidates forum at the Murwillumbah Community Centre from 5.30pm until 8.30pm on Wednesday, April 16.
The Common Future Collective includes 350 Australia, It Takes A Town, Oxfam Australia and the Community Disaster Action Group.
Event co-facilitator and democracy expert, Tim Hollo, said, ‘Democracy needs to be about bringing people together across difference so we can work out how we want to live together. Seeing the local member choose an event that is spreading more division over one carefully designed to create cohesion at a time like this is devastating. Ms Elliot needs to urgently reconsider.’
Ms Briggs also expressed her disappointment at the candidates’ lack of accountability to the people of the Northern Rivers saying ‘it is a shame that our federal MP refuses to engage with her constituents.’
The forum will allow residents to deliberate with each other about the policy they want to see in this federal election and then clarify candidates’ positions on issues such as housing, cost of living, climate, disasters and recovery, healthcare, education and our future.
‘The people of the Northern Rivers have been through a lot, and we deserve to know where our politicians stand before deciding where our vote goes,’ said event facilitator Moss Cluney.
‘To see half the Richmond candidates (let alone the elected MP for Richmond) refuse to RSVP to our democratic town hall style event, is a disappointing turn of events – and shows how true deliberative democracy involving community really does matter in today’s broken political system,’ she continued.
‘The Collective first wrote to Ms Elliot on February 24, seeking clear commitments on climate action, housing support, and disaster preparedness, but she has so far remained silent on these questions and failed to respond to her invitation to the Meet the Community forum.’
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
