Forum hears election messages

by Yvette Brand and Aidan Knight
Election campaigning stepped up in the Narracan electorate last week when six candidates pitched their key messages at a community forum in Warragul.
All representing political parties, six candidates have so far announced their nominations for the seat of Narracan.
The field may still grow. Following the issuing of writs today, nominations will open tomorrow and close next Monday.
Held at the Warragul Downtowner, the forum was hosted by local community advocate Leonie Blackwell, and mediated by Drouin resident Tim Wills.
Ms Blackwell, who opened the event with the phrase "yay for democracy," said the forum "gave people the opportunity to hear the similarities and differences between the parties they represent. We packed a lot into two hours, and I believe we achieved our goal of helping people make an informed choice on 28 November."
Questions from the audience were collected by the mediator via the virtual Slido format focusing on topics including local First Nations concerns, energy transition, the timber industry and healthcare infrastructure including mental health services.
The forum allowed candidates to introduce themselves to community members and outline reasons why they deserved their votes.

Geoff Dethlefs - Family First
A former teacher and principal of 45 years, Mr Dethlefs was quick to declare the classroom "my first love."
Having lived in Drouin more than two decades, where he also taught for his final seven years, he said he wanted to use parliament to bring back the "truth and reliability of our Bible" to the Narracan community.
"I've come into politics because I'm concerned our society has lost these good things," he said, noting particularly the education system and how he would push for "children being allowed to be children.
Totally opposed to abortions, Mr Dethlefs said he would represent those wishing to "abolish abortions to birth," which would form a key policy in his campaign.

Wayne Farnham - Liberal Party
With his family's history in the area dating back 100 years, Mr Farnham said he wanted to make a difference for the community.
"I want to see our area prosper again," he said.
The sitting Member for Narracan said infrastructure had been neglected and a Liberal-National Coalition was committed to regional Victoria receiving 25 per cent of the infrastructure spend.
Mr Farnham acknowledged traffic congestion in Warragul and Drouin as a key issue but said the "most disappointing thing is the hospital hasn't been delivered."
"When the Labor government promised a new hospital (in 2022) they said it was shovel ready. They have failed to deliver it."

Jannette Langley - Australian Labor Party
Ms Langley made the Narracan electorate her home three years ago, after moving from the Latrobe Valley. She loved the people, the local spirit and the sense of belonging.
Through her work in the personal care industry, Jannette said she valued listening to people and understanding what they needed.
She said through her work she had seen first hand the pressures and struggles of local families.
Ms Langley said she wanted to see improved traffic flow in Drouin, improved public transport and promised "you will get a new hospital."
"I want to be a strong local voice - someone who listens and works hard to get outcomes for their community," she said.

Ben Lucas - One Nation
Mr Lucas introduced himself as a "local bloke" who grew up in Drouin, attended Chairo Secondary School, played sport locally and from a young age always had part time jobs and "worked hard."
He joined the army at 18 and said it was an "honour travelling the world and representing Australia."
Mr Lucas returned to Drouin where he wanted to raise his children. But, he said the town was changing. "There were 6000 people in Drouin when I grew up, now there's 22,000."
He said Drouin was a very fast growing region that was severley underfunded and he would fight for the infrastrutcure the community needed and deserved.

Moss Page - Victorian Socialists
Mr Page grew up in Iran until receiving a university scholarship to China during his final year in high school, where he completed his studies. Since then he has lived in Japan and New Zealand before moving to Drouin close to a decade ago.
"The important thing was the people who made it feel like home", he said, wishing to represent the mortgage holders and renters, farmers and families of Narracan who felt left behind in today's tough economy.
He said he would fight the large gas companies "who don't pay out royalties," the banks "who make hundreds of thousands of dollars during a housing crisis, and was committed to providing a voice for Aboriginal people and the disabled community.
"Victorian socialists will bring power back to everyday families," he said.

Alyssa Weaver - Greens
A 26-year-old mother and children's book author, with a background in disability services, Ms Weaver said she was looking to "shake off some of the preconceived ideas that people might have about a Greens candidate."
The daughter of a butcher, who knew how to make sausages from scratch by age 12, Ms Weaver said she stood for restoring the core democratic values to Narracan, and anything that "will make our community thrive."
"I want to see people housed, I want to see cheaper groceries for our community while making sure that farmers are getting a fair pay for their product, and I want to make sure that everyone has access to high-quality education."
She called for meaningful climate action from government "to make sure our community is not left behind in that transition."