Most good judges expect a pre-Easter announcement to confirm May 21 as the election date.
Tonight’s candidate forum will start at 7pm and will be live streamed on the Riverine Herald facebook page.
C4EM has prepared a list of community pillars around which questions will be built, then presented to the candidates.
With the retirement of Damian Drum, the sitting Member for Nicholls, made public several weeks ago there has been significant movement on the campaigning front — for the most part — the three candidates seen as the major combatants for Nicholls.
Steve Brooks, a Cobram-based former secondary school teacher and orchard owner, has been campaigning hard after independent Rob Priestly jumped out of the blocks well before his competition had even printed their campaign material.
Nationals candidate Sam Birrell has aligned his campaigning closely to the popular retiring member, Mr Drum, and probably deserves favouritism considering the short history of the Nicholls electorate.
Prior to the 2019 election the seat was notionally held by the National Party on a margin of 22.3 per cent, making it a very safe seat for the party.
Drum polled 51 per cent of the primary vote at the election, ahead of the Labour candidate Bill Lodwick’s 18 per cent and 11 per cent for the One Nation candidate, Ms Tyrell.
Eight candidates contested the 2019 election, including three independents and a Labour Party candidate.
There has been no news on that front, from the Labour party, with the latest candidate announcement coming from the Citizens Party.
Sixty-four-year-old Jeffrey Davy, from Katunga, will contest his fourth election after representing the Citizens Party at the 2007, 2010 and 2013 Federal elections.
Questions for candidates at tonight’s forum can be emailed name, to ceo@c4em.com.au with your name, the candidate the question is directed at or all candidates and which pillar your question relates to.
Questions should be kept to one sentence as candidates have been asked to keep responses to one minute.
The five pillars are Echuca-Moama one community, support and plan for sustainable population growth, develop new and unique offerings, strengthen food and fibre related industries and Workforce and Leadership Development.
