A lively forum

The Q&A forum was viewed by more than 5000 people online, many firing tough questions at the candidates.

National Party candidate Steph Cooke was under the pump for most of the night, coping hostile questions from the audience and pointed barbs from her fellow candidates.

Reading from pre-prepared notes Ms Cooke handled most of the questions in a personable and matter of fact manner.

Shooters Fishers and Farmers candidate Matt Stadtmiller made many points throughout the evening that resonated well with the Witness’ online audience.

His pledge that official Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party policy was to build two new high efficiency low emissions power stations in the Hunter region seemed to be popular amongst both the Town Hall audience and those watching online.

Mr Stadtmiller’s calls for the resutls of the Police re-engineering study to be released before election day was also well received by our audience.

Country Labor Candidate Charlie Sheahan was in a fighting mood and gave short shrift to suggestions that his Party does nothing for the bush.

“Labor built that shiny new hospital Young has up on the hill, so that suggestion is nonsense,” he said.

Mr Sheahan also received favourable reactions to his calls for a new Police station to be built in Young and his announcement that Labor would put 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the Snowy Hydro towards rural and regional areas like Young.