Text by Kerrie Pacholli  / Images by Serge Thomann / films by Kerrie Pacholli & Andre Le Coz © pationpics.com

Reason Victoria, Liberal, Animal Justice, Labor and Greens Parties gathered at the Alex Theatre that hosted a timely Albert Park Candidates Forum organised by unChain Port Phillip and Live.org.au and supported by 22 other local community groups.

As an independent producer and volunteer journalist for St Kilda News I was invited to cover this event. I am please to report I found this forum to be very compelling and very illuminating.

The night was long, a three-hour gig.

Jarryd Bartle from Reason Victoria was first cab of the rank. He made clear his party’s policies on sex, drugs and rock n roll. He stressed the party’s desires to have an evidence-based approach to crime, drug law reform, harm minimization, religion, tax, transparency and accountability in parliament to name a few topics.

Next up was Andrew Bond for the Liberals, who spearheaded his party’s concerns on congestion, crime, safety and CCTV on the streets and how those issue have been handled over the last four years.

In answer to Andrew Bond’s statements on these issues was Martin Foley who has been an Albert Park member since 2007. Martin is also a current Minister in the Andrews State Labor government with portfolios that include Housing, Disability and Ageing, Mental Health and Equality as well as Creative Industries.

With robust experience working in the field, Martin eloquently made clear that Labor is on its party line track and looking to continue to set a positive plan for a progressive future with bold reforms using the potential of Fishermans Bend as a lynch pin site to getting things right.

Greens candidate Ogy Simic also gave a strong voice to the Greens policies making clear that this Victoria State election is very significant for an inclusive future in facing issues on the impact of climate change and a healthy society; naming issues of housing, poverty, transport and assisting the vulnerable, with a new view, attitude and approach.

To finish was Dr. Tamasin Ramsey for the Animal Justice Party who illuminated to everyone that humans consist of .02 of 1 % of the global population and how important it is for we humans to realize that other living creatures consist of 99.9 % of all life on earth. Working as a paramedic on the streets also gave Tamasin experience into the plights of humans and a clear, clean insight into the importance of changing our attitudes, practices and interrelationships  for a positive and healthy future for all life on earth.

Our media team, consisting of pationpics commissioned by St Kilda News and Mynewsroom,  have produced a short film of the Forum with an extended podcast of the entire forum giving you, the electorate, insight into these individuals and their party’s polices. We hope you find this useful for your vote.

Community Groups supporting the forum are: unChain Port Phillip, LIVE.ORG.AU, Port Phillip Alliance for Sustainability (PPAS), South Port Urban Responsible Renewal (SPURR), Port People, Port Phillip EcoCentre, St.Kilda Junction Area Action Group (JAAG), Sacred Heart Mission, Port Phillip Bicycle Users Group (BUG), Community Alliance of Port Phillip (CAPP), This Week in St Kilda (TWISK), Bayside Climate Change Action Group (BCCAG), Veg Out Community Gardens St Kilda, (VEG OUT), Friends of the Earth (FOE), Beach Patrol Port Melbourne, Albert Park, South Melbourne and St Kilda and Love Our Streets (LOS) Port Melbourne and Elwood, Beacon Cove Neighbourhood Association (BCNA), Montague Community Alliance, Friends of St Kilda, St Kilda News, pationpics.com, Mynewsroom.

Below  is a Podcast of the entire Albert Park Candidates Forum which was organised by unChain Port Phillip and Live.org.au and supported by 20 local community groups, hosted by the Alex Theatre St Kilda.