Candidates forum: showing their fitness to serve?
Last Thursday evening, August 22, I attended the Gosford West Ward candidates public forum, organised by the Peninsula Residents Association.
The forum enabled the registered candidates to put forward their respective cases for election as councillors in the upcoming council election.
What was of critical importance was for the attendees to be able to consider each candidate for their fitness to serve as representatives of the people of the ward.
We will be asked to vote on the selection of three persons to represent the whole of the ward, as part of a larger team of 15 persons, serving as councillors to the whole of the Central Coast, not just the Woy Woy Peninsula.
I had seven questions, intended to help me assess their fitness to serve.
These included their understanding of the role and responsibilities of councillors, any conflicts of interest, their character traits, business and community experience, time availability and teamwork.
This is what I saw, and got, from the evening, in order of each address.
Ratepayers' Choice: Mr Kevin Brooks and Mr Stephen Sizer attended. Kevin chose to selectively address the organisers' questions.
Kevin seemed to have a calm demeanour and presented his credentials from previous experiences which would seem to serve him well in this endeavour.
Stephen did not choose to address the floor.
Team Central Coast: Mr Daniel Abou-Chedid attended. Daniel chose not to address the organisers' questions, instead following his own line, akin to my own thoughts.
Daniel presented an impressive case of personal characteristics and did acknowledge the concerns of the attendees.
Liberal Party: Mr Trent McWaide attended. Trent initially seemed unprepared but took a similar line to Daniel and focused on his perceived qualification for the role.
As he proceeded, Trent warmed up in his presentation but was at length to tackle questions from the floor, preferring to reinforce his claim to be a team player.
Labor Party: Ms Belinda Neal, Mr Mark Ellis and Mr Alan McArdie attended.
Belinda is an experienced politician. Her past performance was reaffirmed here, and is a matter of public record.
Belinda led the presentation and was reassuring to the floor that she and her team were tuned in to local issues.
Mark spoke in a mildly animated manner on numerous local community concerns. Alan did not address the floor.
Coasties Who Care: Ms Lisa Bellamy, Ms Sarah Blakeway and Ms Tegan Mulqueeney attended.
Lisa led the response and seemed to try to cover all of the organisers' queries along with her own self-promotion, in the allocated time.
Her resort to the use of bad language at the end of the presentation may have been simply emotional expression but may question her control under pressure.
Sarah introduced herself and Tegan did likewise.
New Independents: Ms Jane Smith, former Mayor, was the sole representative.
Jane, as a former mayor, in office prior to the crisis, would seem to have her credibility already established.
Jane addressed the floor on a broad range of perceived issues and received strong support from the attendees.
No other grouped or ungrouped candidates presented on the night.
One issue which seemed to have universal support is the matter of agreement that the council needs to hold a councillor team of not less than 15 persons.
As the evening had an audience of 120+ persons in an understood voting population of more than 20,000, the question would seem to remain as to who to vote for and how much real interest is there anyway?
SOURCE:
Email, 29 Aug 2024
Darron Shaw, Ettalong Beach