First things first: Fix the damn potholes before the motorbikes get here!

TALK about past performance and future promise at a ‘Meet the Candidates’ night at the Phillip Island RSL on Tuesday night this week swung to more immediate concerns on a question from local identity Tony Zoanetti.

Questions about the future of the Nobbies Centre, law and order, the lack of sporting facilities on Phillip Island, coastal erosion and climate change, the role of First Nation’s People in government, lack of health workers, immigration and native animals killed on the road got a run.

Even the hyper-local issue of McDonalds on Phillip Island rated a mention with a member of the audience hoping to trip candidates up on the hot button issue locally.

Two candidates said 'no', the two councillors running for election, Rochelle Halstead and Mat Morgan, said they couldn't comment and the One Nation candidate, Nikole Schellekens, said while she was pro-business, and pro-youth employment, she'd need to take a closer look at the issues involved.

But debate inevitably turned to the condition of the roads, specifically potholes.

“I’ve got a question I want to put to Chris Buckingham, in particular, and any of the other candidates with an interest in this, safety on the roads,” said Mr Zoanetti.

“Like everyone else, I’m sick and tired of weaving in and out of potholes, it’s so dangerous.

“I take a keen interest in this and, as an exercise, I counted every pothole between the Koo Wee Rup turnoff and Phillip Island and counted 258. It’s dangerous,” he said.

“I’m so worried about all the motorcycle riders that will be headed this way in only a few weeks and the way it is at the moment, there’s a risk that we’re going to see deaths on these roads.”

Mr Zoanetti asked what Mr Buckingham as the Labor candidate, or anyone else, might be able to do able it before the riders arrived for the Island’s last grand prix.

“Yes, I agree. I’m dodging them too, but not on a motorbike,” said Chris Buckingham.

He said Ben Carroll had committed $4 billion to the problem. In fact, on August 30, this year Mr Carroll promised to fill 500,000 potholes by the end of January at a cost of $352 million.

The Victorian Coalition say they will invest $5 billion, not only to repair 1,000,000 potholes but also to repair and rebuild Victoria's roads and re-establish a proper, planned system of preventative road maintenance.

One Nation doesn’t believe either of them.

Mr Buckingham acknowledged that Labor had got it wrong with road maintenance but urged people to read the Auditor General’s ‘Maintaining State Roads’ report which explained why Victoria’s roads were deteriorating.

Liberal candidate Rochelle Halstead wasn’t buying it.

“With due respect, Ben Carroll was the Roads Minister when Labor took $200 million out of road maintenance in the budget,” she said.

“And you can’t blame it on the weather. When you go over the border the words are suddenly a lot smoother. I’m also concerned about the MotoGP.”

Chris Jobe, the Victorian Socialist candidate, said the problem started when the Jeff Kennett Liberal government privatised road construction and maintenance in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the result that ongoing maintenance was often neglected.

“That’s 26 years ago!” came the interjection from the audience.

“I’d like to speak, if you don’t mind,” said Mr Jobe, also responding to an interjection by Rochelle Halstead sitting alongside him on the podium.

“That’s just rude,” he said, as tempers frayed a little.

Actually, former VicRoads road construction engineer Jeff Moran agrees with Mr Jobe, but with Labor winning seven out of eight elections since then, they’ve had ample time to get it right.

The Meet the Candidates’ night was chaired by former president and newly minted life member of Island Voice, Peter Paul, in the ANZAC Room of the Phillip Island RSL with Bass candidates Chris Buckingham (Labor), Rochelle Halstead (Liberals), Chris Jobe, Victorian Socialists and Nikole Schellekens (One Nation) in attendance.

Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria in the Upper House, Mat Morgan, stood in for his colleague, Sophie Thorn, the Greens’ candidate for Bass.

There will be another 'Meet the Candidates' night at Grantville on Thursday, November 5, 6.30pm for a 7pm start, convened by the VFF, moderated by the Rural Press Club of Victoria.

Here’s how each of the candidates wrapped it up:

Chris Buckingham (Labor)

I have a demonstrated ability to work with government, and I can constructively work with people. I have a long track record in a career working in any one of a number of different jobs, whether it’s on the factory floor, as a youth worker, as a CEO, as the person that set up Destination Gippsland in its current form. I've run Casey Cardinia Libraries in the northern end of the electorate. I know how to run a business. I've owned my own business. I'm a person who cares deeply about community, and everywhere I have lived, I've contributed to that community, and that is what I'm doing right now by volunteering as a candidate through the course of this year. It's been an absolute privilege being a candidate for Bass, I think, with 51 days to go, I'm looking forward to a really strong sprint towards the line, and I'm really hopeful that you will see your way clear to voting in a progressive, thoughtful, and capable MP for Bass. Thank you.

Mat Morgan (Greens)

Thank you. Let me use my minutes to just quickly explain what's happening in the Upper House. So, we used to have group voting tickets, which were wildly undemocratic. That has now gone. Your previous Upper House MP for the seat that I'm trying to win was from the Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers Party. He polled about 3% and passed no legislation ever. I don't take corporate donations. I'm a digital native. We do need to address gender-based violence, that needs front-line prevention programs. It means supporting safe-schools programs. There is so much that we need to defend, and there is so much that we need to do better. And the way to do that is to get money out of politics and get at least one person in Eastern Victoria who doesn't take corporate donations sitting in the Upper House, holding whichever major party makes it into government to account. My phone's on, my emails are on. All I need is some staff. So no, you don't have to tell anybody, but when you get the big ballot for the Upper House, just chuck a little one on the Greens, and maybe, maybe, we can just have a politician fighting for people, not corporate donations.

Nikole Schellekens (One Nation)

You've heard a lot of promises and conversations tonight, and I'm not going to rehash that with you all. But instead, I want to leave you with something to think about. We've been on this Labour-Liberal roller coaster for a very long time, and the one question I would pose to you all is: Are you happy with where we've ended up? Now, my suspicion is that you're all sitting here tonight possibly not happy with how we've ended up. So, if you're considering the way our government's working for our communities, I would suggest that there's probably something that we could be doing better. So maybe it's time to do something a little different for us, for one nation, for me. Myself, I will be authentic with you. We'll show up. We'll make decisions based on our community needs and values, and I'm part of this community too, so I share those values. So, on November 28th, I'm asking you all to consider doing something different. I'm asking you to put your trust in me, Nikole Schellekens, the One Nation candidate for Bass. Bass before politics - every decision, every time, is what you'll get. Thank you.

Chris Jobe (Victorian Socialists)

If you look at the decline of our systems at the moment and the crises that we are facing every day and with ever-alarming frequency and urgency, I'm going to ask a similar question to Nikole: How's capitalism going for you? It's the need to make profit out of absolutely everything, including our public services, it's not going well. And I can absolutely assure you that if you want to put your vote with the socialists, you're going to be voting for someone who wants to return the power to the people and take it out of the hands of the multi-billion-dollar corporations and billionaires who have way too much influence over the governments and other parties.

Rochelle Halstead (Liberals)

Thanks, Peter. I just want to thank all the candidates again, and for all of you coming out tonight. I've been working in this community now for almost seven years, as one of your elected representatives on Bass Coast Council. I've served two years, or almost two years, as your mayor. I understand the system. I have the experience. I've completed the AICD course (Australian Institute of Company Directors), so I'm right across governance. I've got the contacts and the networks, and all I'm doing is standing up because, at a local level, all of our ability to make any change has been stripped away from us by this government. This is the reason that I want to go to state. I live in this community too. I love this community. My husband and I have two golden retrievers and a house in San Remo. And every day we wake up and thank god that we live here. We are going to hear a lot of promises. We are, and from all sides of politics, because that's what an election is about. But I just want you to think: Who has the experience to run government? Who can you put your faith in? We've got a government at the moment that's driven our state into the ground, $200 billion of debt, corruption to the core, roads crumbling. Come on, Victoria! It is time for a fresh start, and under Jess Wilson. If you're not following her now, please do give her a chance. She is determined. She's focused, and she is going to deliver a better Victoria for all of us. And that includes for the seat of Bass, who has been left behind for too long. We need that investment in infrastructure, and I will continue to fight for it.