ATTENDANCE numbers at Mount Gambier’s candidate debates are demonstrative of how “irrelevant” they are for most people, Labor candidate Isabel Scriven has claimed.
The political hopeful hit back at “old men with old men’s ways” after coming under fire from candidates for declining an invitation to address a Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce forum scheduled tonight.
Organisers cancelled the forum due to Ms Scriven and SA-Best candidate Kate Amoroso indicating they would not attend.
Ms Scriven claimed “low numbers” at the chamber and previous Limestone Coast Protection Alliance debates as proof they were ineffective in reaching the electorate.
“I was told there were about 40 at the gas forum and about 100 at the last chamber of commerce debate,” she said.
“There are more than 24,000 voters, so that shows how irrelevant these debates really are for most people.
“Those formal forums are mainly people who have already made up their minds about voting trying to catch out the other candidates.
“Several people I spoke to said they have children’s activities and sports on in the evenings.
“They have busy lives and cannot take an entire evening to listen to people trying to score points and play political games.”
The 21-year-old, who also failed yesterday to attend an ABC South East debate, broadcast live on radio, said she was attempting to encourage young voters to engage in politics, arguing the last thing most young people was going to do “was spend two hours at a stuffy forum”.
“Young people engage through social media, through friends and through talking face to face,” she said.
“What we have here is these old men who think the way they run an election campaign is the right way and the only way.
“I have spoken to lots of young people and not one of them have said they would attend that
kind of stuffy forum.”
Ms Scriven, who to date has attended one of four candidate forums in Mount Gambier, stressed she was not avoiding scrutiny of Labor policies and was instead focusing on “running her own race” .
“I am a Labor Party candidate and all the Labor policies are available online for everyone to read,” she said.
“Also The Border Watch has asked each of us candidates to give responses on particular issues.
“I’m talking to individual people, meeting people on their terms at places they go anyway, like the supermarket, local cafes or their homes.
“That’s where people raise the issues that really matter to them.
“I also think as a young person having a go at running for parliament, there is this sense I can be intimidated by these sorts of criticisms.
“Well I’m standing up to these old men with their old men’s ways.”
Greens candidate for Mount Gambier Gavin Clarke said while social media was effective in distributing information within already established networks, candidates needed to use a range of approaches to connect to a broad range of voters.
“Social media is a good way to connect with people within your own social networks, but without an existing base of dedicated followers or ‘paid promotions’ it is very easy for messages and announcements to disappear in the maelstrom of internet information,” he said.
“I know that my own experience of social media is often skewed by only seeing articles and clips which correspond with my own views.
“Releasing videos and sharing information this way can be like preaching to the choir.
“Public forums put the opinions of various parties side by side and help voters inform their choices while also informing the candidates of constituents’ specific concerns.”
Liberal candidate for Mount Gambier Craig Marsh dismissed notions of the forums of having little importance, saying the events were an important tool in engaging and educating voters on issues and policies.
“The chamber debate was viewed online by over 2000 Mount Gambier residents, proving its relevance to our community,” he said.
“Consequently, all recent debates have been streamed live on Facebook, covered by local media and discussed extensively by the general public.
“Forums such as these are the perfect opportunities for candidates to explain their views, opinions and policies regarding important factors affecting the whole community.”
Independent Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell commended Ms Scriven for standing as a candidate among a field of older political hopefuls.
“When I was a young 21 year old, I probably thought a 44-year-old was an old person with old person ways as well,” he said.
“Now that I am 44, I think both the young and old have a great deal to contribute to our community if they are given a voice and listened to.
“Good on Isabel for standing up and having a go.”
