On June 2, incumbent Member for Eden-Monaro Peter Hendy visited the Old Bega Hospital to announce $20,000 in funding for the building. 

On the day, we asked Dr Hendy if he would comment on superannuation, but he said he would not comment on national issues and would only answer questions relating to the local area. 

Because no-one in the Eden-Monaro has superannuation?!

It was similar to Julie Bishop’s recent self-described “gotcha moment”, when she was unable to explain how her party’s retirement superannuation scheme works.

But while Ms Bishop is the Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Hendy is the Assistant Minister for Finance and one would think all members of a political party would have at least a general understanding of their party’s policies.

Aside from the fact 71 per cent of all Australians aged 15 years and over are covered by superannuation and so it would concern many in Eden-Monaro. 

So why would Dr Hendy not comment on the super issue?

It is disappointing a candidate would not agree to discuss a policy that would affect thousands of their constituents. 

Meanwhile, during the Eden Jobs Forum on June 4, Labor’s candidate for Eden-Monaro Mike Kelly talked about his party’s new policy for refugees – information that surprised some of the audience.

When a member of the crowd said Opposition Leader Bill Shorten needed to be speaking about the policy more, Dr Kelly replied “It’s hard to get out in the Murdoch Press, mate”. 

But Rupert Murdoch does not own all Australian media – or any in Eden-Monaro that we’re aware of – nor such national mastheads as the Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian or the ABC, to name a few.  

So why would Dr Kelly make such a comment? 

Perhaps because he knew he did not have a valid excuse as to why his party has not been publicly talking about the highly emotive topic refugees have become.