Ballina’s one and only Federal Election candidate debate has been boycotted by the Greens – because it’s taking place in a church.

The forum has been organised by Pastor Matt Tanttari of the Limitless Church in De Havilland Ave for a 7pm start Wednesday (April 16).

Mr Tantarri said he decided to hold the event because he felt voters deserved to hear directly from the candidates and he was able to provide a hall that capable of holding up to 250 people.

“Ballina has no Town Hall and nobody else was organising a candidates forum.  I thought it was important, so I stepped up.”

He said it’s not a religious event, although he was supported by the leaders of other Ballina churches. Mr Tanttari will be chairing the forum and plans to ask a couple of questions important to him and members of faith congregations around freedom of speech and the ability of religious organisations to to choose who they wished to employ.

“The rest is pretty much up to the candidates themselves and the audience.  We’re providing an app for use on the night and people will be able to input questions.  I hope we can get through as many of them as we can and cover a broad range of subjects,” Mr Tantarri said.

With the exception of the Greens, all the major party candidates have confirmed their attendance including the sitting ALP member Justine Elliot and Nationals candidate Kimberly Hone.

A spokesman for Mandy Nolan said she had a long-standing commitment to be elsewhere. Ballina News Daily understands that is an alternate forum organised by a coalition of leftist groups including the “Climate Justice Alliance” and Greens-aligned Byron Environment Centre. It’s convenor, Emma Briggs, suggested to the Byron Echo newspaper that the Ballina forum was inappropriate because she claimed it was being run by a Christian think tank advocating against a total ban on “gay conversion therapy”.  

Justine Elliot MP said she was looking forward to attending the Ballina debate given most candidates would be there. She said she had no reservations about appearing at a public forum held in a church building.

“We live in a diverse community where everyone’s views are equally valued. As an MP, I think it’s important to be able to engage with everyone.  It is also important to be able to appreciate and communicate with people of different faiths,” Ms Elliot said.

“It’s a big electorate and Ballina is a very important centre. I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Ballina News Daily will be attending the candidates forum and providing full coverage.  Subscribe for local news updates.

Picture: Limitless Church Ballina Senior Pastors Rachael and Matt Tantarri and family