IF candidates were nervous at Wednesday night’s Goulburn and District Unions Candidates Forum at the Soldiers Club, they didn’t show it.

Member for Goulburn Pru Goward (Liberal), Outdoor Recreation Party’s Wal Ashton, Labor’s Dr Ursula Stephens, Christian Democrat Adrian Van der Byl and The Greens’ Iain Fyfe all gave passionate opening and closing statements.

They faced some good questions on issues such as cuts to TAFE jobs, electrification of rail, better nurse to patient ratios and the preservation of heritage from audience members. 

Another issue prominent in the meeting was the State Government’s proposal to lease 49 per cent of the poles and wires network. 

However, one of the audience members Dr Michael Cotter noted some inconsistencies in what Ms Goward had to say on a number of issues, including the electrification of rail.

“For instance she said that we need a population of more than one million people for electrified rail to become a reality,” he said.

“You’ve only got to look at the South Coast, where there are fewer than one million people and who also have an electrified line. So it is no defence for Ms Goward to say that we need a million people on our corridor to get this electrified line.”

He also noted an inconsistency in terms of nurse to patient ratios in the region’s hospitals. 

“It is definitely an issue of equity. Why shouldn’t people get the same level of care as in the city?” he said. 

“The fact that we don’t get the same amount of care as people in the city may do shows that we are not getting proper representation by our member.” 

Dr Cotter’s wife Jane Cotter, who is a member of the NSW Nurse and Midwives Association was generally pleased with how the night went overall. 

“I think it was quite dynamic and the interaction between the candidates was very interesting,” she said.

“There were no nasty questions from the audience. However the thing that I was disappointed about was Pru Goward saying that she didn’t support ratios for Goulburn Hospital, despite the meetings we had with her and the facts that we presented to her that we get less hours than the city nurses do.

“It’s just not fair. So I was surprised and disappointed that she would not support it.

“Also the selling off of public assets certainly caused a fair but of debate. There was also a pledge that the GDU made at the end of the night which Dr Stephens and Iain Fyfe signed, but I noticed that Pru Goward did not, which was disappointing too.

“I did get a sense that at the health forum a few months ago, both Ursula and Pru were on the back foot in terms of their policy frameworks, however this time around they have had time to work on those and gave their views on the various issues put to them and managed to put across what they needed to well.”