Candidate forum becomes a Deni mute muster

ONE candidate for Murray refused to be filmed and another stormed out during a fiery NSW state election forum in Deniliquin.

Nationals candidate Peta Betts claimed a camera at the forum was being used to record the event for “political” purposes.

She refused to give permission to be filmed and claimed the next day that “what was attempted at the forum was to record the debate for future use – by whom we don’t know, and for what purpose we don’t know”.

The office of Member for Murray Helen Dalton said a cameraman intended to livestream the event to the Helen Dalton 4 Murray Facebook page, not to record it for a future upload.

Fellow independent candidate Greg Adamson said he walked out of the forum after Ms Betts’ objection and there was no mystery about who the cameraman was.

“It was my understanding that it would be livestreamed, as had been done in the past.” Mr Adamson said.

“The organisers did their due diligence to make sure that we were all aware, and were accommodating for it as well – there was no lack of transparency in the process.”

Prior candidate’s forums in Yanco and Griffith were streamed to the same Helen Dalton 4 Murray Facebook page.

Griffith paper The Area News also livestreamed the forum in Griffith, which Ms Betts did not attend due to illness.

Mrs Dalton said the purpose of posting streams on her campaign page was to provide open, transparent and unedited videos to the public.

“Constituents contacted our campaign team requesting the candidate forums be livestreamed because they were unable to attend, in fact, Peta Betts was one of our livestream viewers of the Griffith forum,” Mrs Dalton said.

Nationals Senator Perin Davey was present at the Deniliquin forum and said on Facebook “I asked the man with the camera if he was livestreaming and he said no”.

Ms Betts said that she was not prepared to provide footage “for another candidate’s own agenda”.

“I’m sure any clear-thinking candidate, if they had been aware of the context, would have objected as well,” Ms Betts said.

“I was only made aware after previous forums that livestreaming/filming may have occurred on those occasions.

“In all instances, it is disrespectful not to be upfront about filming and not to receive prior permission.”

The streams were backed by Mr Adamson, who said it allowed more people to participate in democracy, particularly in the west of Murray.

He said Ms Betts’ refusal to be filmed was undemocratic and public forums were “part and parcel” when putting your hand up for politics.

“It became a pointless meeting, yet another hidden secret meeting from our community,” Mr Adamson said.

“It’s not what these processes are for – it’s to be scrutinised, to be ripped to pieces.”

Mrs Dalton labelled Ms Betts’ request to not be filmed “bizarre”.

“As a state MP you are in the public eye and you have to be completely transparent,” Mrs Dalton said.

“Not only was Betts’ behaviour deeply undemocratic, in my opinion, it is more evidence that she is not fit for public office.

“This is a hard job and you face scrutiny every day, you can’t hide from the public.”