Few turn up at hustings (From Penarth Times)

Few turn up at hustings

PENARTH voters are staying at home this year, according to organisers of a recent hustings event.

Only 30 to 40 people turned up to the meeting at the Baptist Church, Stanwell Road, on Friday, April 25.

The hustings was arranged by Christian Voice to the National Assembly and it gave residents the opportunity to grill the five main candidates, who all turned up.

They were Labour's Lorraine Barrett, David Bartlett of the Socialist Party, Welsh Liberal Democrat Rodney Berman, Richard Grigg from Plaid Cymru and Dianne Rees of the Welsh Conservative Party.

Daniel Boucher, the Evangelical National Assembly Officer, began the meeting by explaining the Welsh Assembly and stressing that without the church event many people would not have been given the chance to meet the perspective Assembly members face to face.

Candidates were given the opportunity to introduce themselves and speak for three minutes, before the questions were put by David Smith, who chaired the panel.

There were many questions, ranging from whether the war against Iraq was just to "Do the firefighters deserve a pay rise?" At the end, candidates said why the electorate should cast their vote for them.

But the people who were in the audience were not satisfied with the debate as an event. Tony Hallett of John Street, Penarth said: "It is a pity that there was not more audience participation.

"I remember going to a hustings in the Sixties, when the political candidates were grilled and people could speak out."

"It was more scripted, which meant that fewer people could air their views."

Another member of the audience, Gareth Ap-Sion, of Abbott Crescent, was also disappointed.

He said: "It is a shame that so few people turned up.

"I am also disappointed that there was not a chance for the audience to fire questions at the panel."