Sitting MP Angus Taylor and Labor hopeful Aoife Champion traded blows over the NBN and Medicare, each pushing moderator Don Elder’s boundaries. (See story on page 6). 

Some 200 people attended the event at the Goulburn Workers Club.

The forum has been hailed a success by the community, with many giving their feedback after the event. 

Goulburn Rostrum member and well-known retired local solicitor Mr Elder proved an adept moderator for the evening, keeping the proceedings on track. 

Fairfax journalist, former Post editor and the night’s ‘adjudicator’ John Thistleton said the forum “was excellent.” 

“I think Angus [Taylor] probably won the night. He was on cruise control in the first half; but in the second half, the Labor candidate, Aoife [Champion], livened right up,” Mr Thistleton said.

“She had been a little ambiguous with some of her answers in the first half; as was Angus in the second half, especially where he stood on gay marriage. I think he lost a lot of ground there, while Aoife really made up a lot of ground, especially on the NBN.

“Michaela [Sherwood], the Greens' candidate, I thought was pretty consistent all the way through; a really good grasp of the issues.

“The moderator, Don [Elder], was very good, and but for that very good chairmanship, I think Angus would have overplayed his hand a little bit. He should thank Don for that. 

“I would have liked to have seen the negative gearing debate brought out a lot more. In Goulburn, there are a lot of investors here, and a lot of older houses here that investors own, as well as a lot of new homes. So it would have been good to see that issue teased out a little more.”

Christine Bentley, who took the opportunity to ask about negative gearing, believed the evening was “better than the last candidates’ forum.

“There was a much more even spread of questions,” she said.

Collector small businessman Richard Stacy maintained “some pretty serious questions weren’t asked.”

“I want to know from The Greens when you have so many people below the poverty line, over 100,000 homeless people each year, and given our annual expenditure on foreign aid and the National Disability Scheme, why they want to bring more people into Australia,” he said.

Meantime, Goulburn woman Kaye Paterson said people appreciated the chance to see the candidates in action.

“It was certainly food for thought,” she said.

Local couple Janette and Neville Rudd told the Post they had their mind made up before they came but the forum “was still interesting.”

But Australian Marriage Equality Goulburn branch spokesman Tom Sebo said he “wasn’t a fan of forums.”

“It is so controlled. I prefer a more open style of debate,” he said.

“My question was not answered. I thought it was disappointing. I’m never a fan of these forums, it is so controlled. 

“I have been attending these forums for more than seven years and every time we have a debate it is that Rostrum format - it does not really allow for a proper debate. 

“I think being an MP is an extremely important role and these nights should give us an insight into how the candidates think. 

“Another thing that was rife last night was candidates having their own sets of ‘facts’. What I would like to see in future would be a moderator that is armed with the facts and that isn’t afraid to pull up a candidate if they stray from them. These forums are important because for some people they are the only chance they get to directly engage with the political process. They have legitimate concerns and real questions. I’d like to see a format in which candidates were actually held to a response to the question asked.”

Ray Olsen found the evening productive.

“There were no big arguments between the candidates,” he said. 

“The Very Fast Train just has to be done. The train services between the nation’s capital and Sydney are not good enough. If they had three reliable services a day between these two cities then Goulburn would boom.” 

Leon Oberg was buoyed that all candidates were receptive to the electrification of the rail line to Goulburn and on to Canberra. 

“While some did show interest in a VFT, some rightly understood that electrification of the existing line would offer improved transport for those living in the towns and villages located right along the line rather (Marulan, Tallong, Bundanoon, etc) than the limited stopping places any VFT would offer,” he said. 

“While electrification will bring growth and jobs along the existing corridor, electric trains will offer faster pick up and stopping and the service not limited to what it is now, a handful of noisy diesel carriages which when one vehicle in a permanently coupled two car set fails generally means the entire set is out of service resulting in replacement buses and or overcrowding.”