When it comes to Australia’s energy future, you’d think the country’s Energy Minister and the local MP would show up to answer some tough questions. But that wasn’t the case last night in Port Stephens, where Chris Bowen and Meryl Swanson were nowhere to be seen at a major energy debate.
Locals packed the room, eager to hear where our leaders stand on skyrocketing power bills, the future of coal, and Australia’s energy security. But instead of fronting up to the people they represent, Bowen and Swanson simply didn’t show. No explanation. No message. Just empty chairs.
Thankfully, not everyone ducked for cover. Shadow Energy Minister Ted O’Brien and Liberal candidate for Paterson, Laurence Antcliff, were there, taking questions and actually engaging with the community. Whether you agree with them or not, they showed up—something Bowen and Swanson couldn’t be bothered to do.
People in regional areas like Paterson are sick of being ignored. We’re the ones who power this country—literally. Yet when it comes time to justify their policies, Labor’s key figures are nowhere to be found. With energy prices through the roof and net zero policies threatening jobs, locals deserved answers. Instead, they got silence.
So, what is Labor afraid of? Why won’t Bowen and Swanson defend their energy policies in front of the people they claim to represent? Their absence says it all.
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