By Renee Wood
Local residents are encouraged to attend an upcoming event to meet Casey candidates ahead of the federal election.
The Yarra Valley Anglican Church is presenting the ‘Meet the Candidates’ event at The Memo on Wednesday 27 April, with four potential representatives to attend.
Labor candidate Bill Brindle, Greens candidate Jenny Game, Independent candidate Claire Ferres Miles and Liberal candidate Aaron Violi will be there on the night to address the audience.
A panel discussion will be held with Minister Matt Smith to moderate the event.
“Our goal is really to have the electorate better informed as to the candidates and their character, their hopes and dreams and what they might do if they are successful and elected. So we thought it was something that was needed in the town,” Andy White from Yarra Valley Anglican Church said.
It’s a free ticketed event and when signing up for tickets, attendees can submit questions to ask the candidates.
“Initially they’ll be introduced and then they’ll be invited to speak for eight minutes,” Mr White said.
“At the end of that we then have a series of questions that will be developed from the responses from people getting tickets, and we’ll give each of the candidates an opportunity to answer each of the questions.”
The Casey electorate also has two other potential representatives, United Party candidate Anthony Bellve and One Nation candidate Paul Murphy however they won’t be attending.
“We thought four was possible, we thought anymore than that would just be impossible for one night in two hours to really do justice but also we looked at the way people polled last time,” Mr White said.
United Party candidate Anthony Bellve said he wasn’t invited, but he will reach out to the organisers and ask to be in attendance.
“By not inviting myself and Paul Murphy, they are denying the people of Casey the opportunity to see that there is another choice. That choice puts people before power and politics,” he said.
“I think what it shows is that when it comes to Labor, the Greens, the Liberals, and I’m going to call them the preference gathering independent, they’re all in this together.”
The event starts at 7.30pm Wednesday 27 April at The Memo, Healesville – tickets can be secured via https://qrco.de//casey2022
