THE future of Loddon agriculture facing challenges from government renewable energy policy and water buybacks triggered an animated exchange at Tuesday’s Mallee candidates’ forum.
The Loddon Herald forum in Inglewood put questions to six of the eight candidates contesting the safe National Party seat in Saturday’s federal election.
Sitting MP Anne Webster repeated her stance against the controversial VNI West renewable energy transmission line project that she said was part of Labor’s agenda where “Mallee has become the bullseye”.
But Labor challenger Greg Olsen remained firm on his party’s renewable energy policy when answering an online question of whether he would tow the party line or represent the views of the electorate.
Mr Olsen renewable energy should be seen from a nation building perspective. “It is seems me there can be an unfortunate Luddite attitude to the future,” he said.
When using the state of the Great Barrier reef as an example, he was challenged by at least one member in the audience at Inglewood’s Old Goods Shed who said the reef had never been in a better state.
As the renewable energy discussion heated, Mr Olsen used the words of John F. Kennedy: “I encourage people to ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” Farmers Ken Pattison and Graham Nesbit questioned the candidates on renewable energy and water buybacks during the forum when Dr Webster and Greens’ candidate Nicole Rowan backed the importance of food production in the region. 
Dr Webster said the Coalition would work with farmers and councils and apply socio-economic assessments as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan that Mr Olsen said Labor was “delivering in full”.