Candidates put on spot:
MORE than 100 people attended a forum yesterday to hear what six of the eight candidates had in store for the region should they be successful on polling day.
The forum was hosted by the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Picnic Point Function Centre.
The six candidates included Robert Thies of the Citizens Electoral Council, Troy Murray of the Australian Labor Party, Chris Whitty from Katter’s Australian Party, Ian Macfarlane of the Liberal National Party, Trevor Smith of The Greens and Rick Armitage from The Rise Up Australia Party.
Ewen Mathieson representing the Palmer United Party declined an invitation to attend and Alexandra Todd from Family First could not be contacted.
Each candidate had five minutes to outline their vision and plans for the region before taking questions from the floor.
One of the more impressive candidates was Chris Whitty from Katter’s Australian Party who presented fresh ideas and a vision for the region’s future.
“I am scared for our future and that of my five children,” he said.
“Nothing is made in Australia any more.
“You only have to walk down the supermarket aisle to see that.”
Mr Whitty said Katter’s Australia Party would emphasise promoting Australian made products if it was elected.
“We will mandate that premium shelf space in supermarkets is set aside for Australian products,” he said.
“We will pass laws requiring a sticker to be place on imported foods to identify them.
“It is about giving our farmers a fair go.”
Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Andrew Wielandt said the forum was a great way for interested parties to find out more about the
candidates.
“The forum was not only important for the business community but also for the broader community,” he said.
“It was good to see some of the candidates attempt to address the local issues.”
Mr Wielandt said those attending were surprised by the performance of Katter’s Australian Party candidate Chris Whitty.
“He came to the forum prepared and was without doubt the surprise packet,” he said.
“The feedback I have received from our members is that they were pleasantly surprised by his performance.
“He was down to earth and told it how it was.”
Mr Wielandt said those attending had been disappointed with The Greens candidate Trevor Smith who kicked off his speech with a jibe at the business people in the room.
He followed by telling a prominent Toowoomba businessman he should go back to university and learn how to effectively run his business if he was experiencing problems.
“The crowd was disappointed with comments made by The Greens candidate. You could hear the audible groan when he said business people were not interested in environmental issues,” he said.