Robust debate at Banks forum could sway voters
Candidates for the marginal seat of Banks kept their cool in the heat of a lively debate at the Canterbury Bankstown Express election forum at Padstow RSL.
The Express
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Candidates for the marginal seat of Banks kept their cool in the heat of a lively election forum, with questions about racism, homophobia and the treatment of women being lobbed their way at Padstow RSL last night.
The Canterbury Bankstown Express forum, which attracted more than 120 locals on Tuesday night, brought together Liberal MP David Coleman, Chris Gambian (Labor), Gianluca Dragone (Greens), Reginald Wright (United Australia Party) and Anjali Thakur (Animal Justice Party) to answer a wide variety of questions. Only the Christian Democratic Party candidate Ki Man Ho did not respond to our invitation.
Most recent bookie results have the Liberals as favourite in the marginal seat which the Government holds on a slim 1.4 per cent margin. The TAB has the Coalition at $1.55 (in from $2.60) with Labor at $2.30 (out from $2.25) as of May 15. Mr Gambian was behind by just 2588 votes at the 2016 election.
The main issues raised by residents, some of whom got emotional, included cuts to penalty rates, immigration, refugees, franking credits, the banking royal commission, climate change and racism.
Canterbury Bankstown has a substantial refugee population and how both major parties dealt with their settlement was a also burning issue for many.
Time ran short for the audience, with some still having questions when the forum ended.
The Express editor Antony Field was the moderator during the event where the candidates were each given three-minutes for their opening statements before they fielded questions.
There were boos directed at Mr Coleman when he responded to a question about why penalty rates have been cut.
CUTS IN PENALTY RATES
A local mum asked Mr Coleman: “Why did you vote against penalty rates if you are for this community?”
He replied: “Penalty rates are set by the Fair Work Commission, which was set up by Labor. Like the Reserve Bank sets rates, the Fair Work Commission sets rates.”
Reginald Wright of the United Australia Party responded. “We’re all for a revision.”
He mentioned his wife, who has two PhDs and is a shift worker, saying she is not adequately compensated.
Mr Dragone told Mr Coleman that his hourly rates have been cut and he is finding it hard to survive on $20 an hour.
YOU CALLED ME RACIST
Mr Gambian faced a fiery resident, Darryl McGarry, who took offence to a conversation he had with the Labor candidate last year about the proposal to build a mosque in Enterprise Avenue, Padstow, claiming that Mr Gambian had called him a racist.
Mr McGarry said he had spoken to Mr Gambian about community concerns regarding the building of a mosque in Padstow.
“When I explained that to you, you called me racist,” he said.
Mr Gambian replied, to loud cheers from the audience: “This is a complete misrepresentation of the conversation we had at a cafe last year.
“I don’t get to decide who builds the mosque or not, that is a decision by the council. “Listening is a two-way street.
“David (Coleman) at least treats people with respect.
“You did not treat people with respect.”
Mr Coleman, also weighed in, saying: “One of the best things in Australia is religious freedom,” while calling for all religions to be treated with respect.
Mr Dragone, whose answers on different issues won praise from local Paul Houghton, earned laughs from the audience when he told Mr McGarry: “If you don’t like mosques, don’t go to mosques.”
OVERPOPULATION
Chris, from East Hills, asked the first question whether population growth is desirable for the area, to which Mr Coleman answered: “We’ve had a lack of sufficient investment to cater for population growth.”
He addressed infrastructure strain before citing the billions in investment made by the Liberal Party.
Mr Dragone said he didn’t believe stopping immigration was a solution to easing pressure on infrastructure.
“It’s not the fault of immigrants that infrastructure is lacking … When they’re used as a scapegoat, it’s probably because the politicians aren’t doing a great job themselves.”
Anjali Thakur, Animal Justice Party, said her party had policies that support migrants.
“We have policies on how to build a more sustainable future,” she said. “AJP like to educate people instead of telling them what to do.”
Elderly resident George Carrard said he was worried about climate change and told the politicians: “Like former PM John Howard said we should have a conversation … politicians should educate the voters about climate change.”
IMMIGRATION ISSUES
Mr Coleman, the Immigration Minister, defended his party’s tough humanitarian asylum seeker program.
“It’s fundamental that it’s managed in an orderly or professional way,” Mr Coleman.
“When people are arriving by boat, that’s not the way to manage a proper humanitarian program.”
He credited offshore processing and temporary visas, before criticising the Labor Party’s prior record.
“The Labor Party’s record on this issue is just appalling.
“We’ve secured the borders and we’ve done that while having a generous humanitarian program letting in more than 18750 humanitarian settlers a year.”
“It has to be done in a way that Australia controls the process.
Mr Gambian said: “People who apply for asylum in this country are not breaking the law … We say don’t come here by boats … it’s not safe.”
Gianluca Dragone, the Greens candidate, spoke about the inhuman nature of turning back refugees and the cost of keeping refugees offshore, saying he, along with several in the audience, are children of migrants from war-torn countries.
Resident and organiser of Democracy in Colour, Naziul Khan, addressed Mr Coleman about an immigrant family in regional Queensland who are fighting deportation.
“You have the power to let them go home or stay,” Mr Khan asked. “Will you take action to let them find safety in Australia?’’
Mr Coleman said he could not speak on individual cases.
NOT HOMOPHOBIC
Resident Nigel asked Mr Coleman to provide a response to “(Minister for Women) Kelly O’Dwyer’s comment that the Liberal Party is (a bunch of) homophobic, anti-woman climate change deniers”. However, Mr Coleman’s response did not answer the question and the question was repeated. This time, Mr Coleman rejected suggestions the Liberal Party was homophobic, saying they supported people from all walks of life.
FRANKING CREDITS
Asked why Labor was ending franking credits, Mr Gambian said the party is not taxing people here but will be stopping people from claiming rebates when they had paid no tax which they can do under the current rules.
BANKING ROYAL COMMISSION
Mr Coleman was grilled on why the Liberals never supported the Royal Banking Commission with Mr Gambian saying time and time again, the Liberal Government voted against the royal commission and he questioned why it had taken so long for them to finally agree. He said finally Labor prevailed here and the commission had exposed corruption and illegal activities in the banking and financial section, which was widely known about since the early 1990s. “I was a union official in the banking workers union and we all knew about it. Everyone knew. The behaviour was appalling.”
WHAT DOES SURPLUS MEAN?
Alison from Riverwood asked Mr Coleman about its tendering record, citing four contracts that were awarded. This included the “$425 million beach shack on Kangaroo Island for Nauru and the $80 million for flood water buybacks in the Murray Darling”.
“We do get back surplus in the coming year,” Mr Coleman said.
He said the last time a Federal Labor government ran a surplus was 1989 — 30 years ago.
“When the Rudd government came into power in 2007, there was no debt, a substantial budget position and that was undone,” Mr Coleman said. “It was the GFC.”
The crowd heckled that response.
Mr Gambian, hitting back at Coleman’s suggestion that Liberals bring a surplus after Labor loses it: “I think the taxes should go back to you … to build the future of the country .....We have to start defining how to run the family budget.
“It’s not a strong economy if we cut the wages of the people in this country.”
Mr Dragone said: “We’ve had six years of cuts, and we have even more debt. You can’t cut yourself into a surplus.”
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