Your chance to grill candidates for the marginal seat of Banks
Residents living in Banks, one of the most marginal federal seats in the country, will get the chance to grill their candidates face-to-face on Tuesday, May 14.
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Residents living in Banks, one of the most marginal federal seats in the country, will get the chance to grill their candidates face-to-face on Tuesday, May 14.
The Canterbury Bankstown Express will hold a candidates forum at Padstow RSL — starting at 7pm — and those who attend will be able to ask questions of Banks federal Liberal MP David Coleman, Labor’s Chris Gambian, The Greens candidate Gianluca Dragone and Animal Justice Party candidate Anjali Thakur.
Reginald Keith Wright, representing the United Australia Party, and the Christian Democratic Party candidate Ki Man Ho have also been invited but have not responded.
Banks is a crucial seat the Liberal Party will be desperate to retain in a closely fought election contest. Mr Coleman has a slim 1.4 per cent margin.
Up until Mr Coleman won the seat for the Liberal Party in 2013, it was a safe Labor seat with the ALP holding Banks since the electorate’s creation in 1949. Mr Coleman was re-elected in 2016.
Mr Coleman was appointed Assistant Finance Minister in 2017 and last year was given the heavyweight Cabinet role of Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.
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The Express hosted a candidates forum for Banks at the last federal election in 2016 and it proved popular with residents.
The 2019 forum will have the same format with the candidates each giving an opening statement, followed by questions from the audience.
“It’s a great honour to represent our local community and I look forward to discussing the important issues in our area,” Mr Coleman said, referring to the upcoming candidates forum.
“We need to continue to grow our strong local economy, and we are delivering many important infrastructure projects in our community.”
It will be Labor candidate Chris Gambian’s second attempt at wresting the seat off the Liberals. The union stalwart grew up in the St George part of the electorate, attending schools in Mortdale, Penshurst and Kogarah.
The seat of Banks covers an area which includes the suburbs of East Hills, Lugarno, Mortdale, Oatley, Panania, Padstow, Padstow Heights, Hurstville Grove, Picnic Point, Revesby, Riverwood and South Hurstville.
Mr Coleman won top spot on the ballot draw recently and the rest of the candidates in order of appearance on the ballot paper are Gianluca Dragone (Greens); Chris Gambian (Labor); Reginald Keith Wright (UAP); Anjali Thakur (AJP) and Ki Man Ho (CDP).
The Express’s candidates forum for Banks is proudly supported by Padstow RSL.
If you need more information or can’t make the event but would like to ask the candidates a question, please email editor@theexpress.com.au
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