Over the last few weeks, we've been inviting federal election candidates into the Illawarra Mercury offices so we can find out more about them and their policies.
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It has been an interesting time. We've heard from Labor, the Greens, the Liberal Democrats, the Australian Citizens Party, and we've had a visit from Andrew Constance, sitting as a member for the Liberals in Gilmore. We'll find out today if there is a Liberal candidate for Cunningham, and we hope we'll get to meet them.
The conversations have been stimulating. We've heard about some of the issues that Illawarra residents have talked to these candidates about. Social housing, cost of living, transport and the economy have been on the lists.
What has been evident in all the discussions we've had so far, no matter the political affiliation, our local political candidates are passionate about where they live and want to make the Illawarra a better place.
Over the coming weeks, we'll print profiles from these conversations to help our readers build their own opinions for polling day. We will also cover a hot topic issue every Thursday. You can read todays here.
As you read this, you will have seen reams and reams of analysis of the leaders' debate held last night. It was primed as a chance for the people to evaluate their choice at the ballot box.
But one would question whether we need a televised debate to help us decide. We've seen Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese in action over the last four years. Surely their actions since 2019 speak far louder than any words crafted for a televised debate could? And viewers agree. According to the Australian Election Studies, there has been a steady decline since the first televised debate between Bob Hawke and Andrew Peacock in 1984. Only 21 per cent of Australians said they had watched a debate in 2016, compared with 71 per cent in 1993.
The fall in the audience shouldn't come as a surprise, but the impact should be scrutinised. How important is the party's leader for the local vote? How much can you rely on post-debate polls when no one is watching them? Maybe the local vote and local candidates are more powerful than we think.
We'll find out soon enough.
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