Independent candidates excluded at media event

I write to register, on the public record, my disgust at some major aspects of Central Coast media behaviour.

By way of contrast, I would like to congratulate the various and many churches, unions, P and C associations that have organised several genuine meet the candidate forums to which all candidates were invited, where respect was insisted upon, where each candidate was permitted to state their views without interruptions.

These organisations have displayed an understanding of democratic practice, good management of the event, and basic manners and goodwill.

By contrast on Tuesday, June 21, at the Mingara Recreation Centre, about 200 people attended an Express-Advocate 104.7 FM organised meet the candidates' forum.

The forum was clearly mismanaged because the reason given for refusing equal participation by independent candidates, such as myself, was "well, we have invited candidates from TWO [my emphasis] electorates, Robertson and Dobell, and so we only have room for two from the Greens, two from Labor, and two from the Liberals".

No room for any alternative ideas because the management set it up to cover two electorates, presumably with an eye to sensationalism rather than the public good and democratic practice.

All Independent candidates and all minor parties were excluded, and in my case, following two weeks of requests for a review of the original decision to exclude, and principled argument to the editor of the Express-Advocate, I was refused equal participation in the event.

The only avenue open was an entirely unjust and subordinate role "you can ask a question of the six speakers".

What a farce.

I attended the meeting and observed an organised and entirely unruly and speech-drowning howling strategy from organised Liberal supporters which was particularly unleashed to drown out speakers telling it how it is.

The Liberals lied about moving against Medicare last elections, and they are lying again.

Howled and howled: a drown-out free speech strategy.

Following the six speakers I rose from the floor of the auditorium and moved a Procedural Motion "That the only Independent candidate for the seat of Robertson be heard for a period of four minutes".

The last part of this motion was howled down, drowned out by a tsunami of organised howling designed to obliterate, for the second time on the one night, my access to free speech equal to that of six candidates from the bigger parties.

Apart from the management incompetence, the disgusting behaviour of the howlers, and the obliteration of Free Speech for those of us who wanted to exercise our freedom, the event produced exactly the sensationalism and drama that no other meet the candidate forum was designed to do and will no doubt be exploited by the managers of the event.

I was there to hear all the six speakers' set speeches.

Not one dealt with the key issues that mark the difference between me as an Independent, and the two major parties: corruption deeply ingrained in both major parties, the need for freedom from faction-mangled parties, and the massive freeway of tax evasion to the tax havens was not mentioned.

Neither of the big parties supports a national Independent Commission Against Corruption and neither addressed the billions of dollars each year robbed from Australia's revenue by the tax dodging mega-rich, big business and multinational corporations.

As a postscript to those interested in the role of the media and their association with public interest.

At the time of writing, 10 days from polling day, I have had zero coverage from any TV, from any radio including ABC Central Coast, or from the Express-Advocate.

I have been subjected to a total media blackout.

This is not a letter pleading for sympathy.

I am reporting to the people of the Central Coast that your media is neglectful at best, and downright narrowly propagandist at worst.

Those in the media who have studied the importance of public interest and the responsibility to reflect community aspirations, behaviours and options, would do well to consider the current intensely lop-sided media bias on the Central Coast.

Email, 24 Jun 2016

Van Davy, Pearl Beach