Solomon electorate candidates tested at Australia Christian Lobby event in Darwin

NT federal election candidates have been questioned by churchgoers keen to know where local political hopefuls stood. Find out what those who were there were asked.

Candidates were probed on a number of hot topics posed by the audience.

Euthanasia, transgender surgery for kids, and poverty were just some of the hairy issues discussed by political hopefuls at a pre-election event in Darwin.

Organised by the Australian Christian Lobby, just over a 100 people attended the Darwin Baptist Church evening to ask candidates for Solomon questions outside the mainstream.

Four candidates faced the music.

Backing up their Sky News debate earlier in the day was Solomon MP Luke Gosling and Country Liberal Party candidate Lisa Bayliss.

Independent Janey Davies also participated in the event, as well as One Nation ticket holder Benjamin Craker.

Of note, One Nation candidate for Lingiari Sakellarios Bairamis also joined the event and introduced himself to the audience.

The Q&A segment dived right into the deep end, with candidates quizzed on where they stood on the issue of euthanasia.

“There’s got to be two doctors, done ethically, and if it’s to take the patient out of pain and suffering, then yes, I believe in (euthanasia),” Ms Davies said.

“I would support euthanasia under very, very rare instances where someone was suffering intolerably,” Mr Craker revealed.

Solomon MP Luke Gosling speaking to the audience. Picture: Supplied.

Both Mr Gosling and Ms Bayliss refused to say whether they supported euthanasia or not.

Candidates were also pressed on whether they agreed transgender surgery should be applied on children.

“On a personal level I oppose it and (One Nation) opposes it also,” Mr Craker said.

“No, I’m totally against it,” Ms Davies said.

“It’s something I definitely will be looking at once I get to parliament, if I have the privilege of getting into parliament,” Ms Bayliss said.

Mr Gosling did not reveal his position, but quoted a line from the UK’S Cass Review – one of the largest reviews conducted into gender identity services for young people

“’The review believes that each individual child and young person seeking help from the health system should receive the support they need,’” Mr Gosling cited.

Poverty, conscience voting, faith-based school freedom and several other issues were also raised by the audience.

On several occasions, the audience let out a collective groan when answers were not definitive.

Mr Lay said the audience wanted to hear "bold and clear answers" from the candidates. Picture: Supplied.

ACL NT director Nicholas Lay said attendees wanted clarity ahead of the election.

“The crowd certainly had an appetite for bold and clear answers which I believe is also true of NT voters,” he said.

However, Mr Lay maintained spectators were better equipped for the ballot box following the evening.

“(I believe) attendees left the event with a deeper understanding of who they are voting for,” he said.

“The evening was intimate and gave candidates plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their heart and character.”

Phil Scott’s team put in his apology for the candidate forum, “due to having a clashing commitment”. They asked organisers to invite all present to contact him in a range of different ways saying that his policy positions, and his guiding principles, are available on his website.

It was confirmed an invitation failed to find Greens candidate Jonathan Parry, who a party spokesperson said would “welcome” dialogue with Darwin’s faith-based community.

“The Greens did not receive their invitation because of an error in communications,” they said.

“But (Mr Parry) said he would have loved to participate and would welcome the opportunity to engage with the Christian community.”

Originally published as Solomon electorate candidates tested at Australia Christian Lobby event in Darwin