Spanning over 200 kilometres from the Hunter Valley to the Queensland border, the New England region of NSW is too vast for many members of the electorate to simply turn up to events. With the forthcoming May 3rd Federal election community stations Radio 88.9fm and 99.5fm along with the Tamworth Business Chamber hosted a successful Meet the Candidates event and as part of its election coverage for participants present, and online.

Held on Wednesday April 23 the event brought together candidates from various political parties, including the Nationals member Barnaby Joyce, discussing key issues and answering questions from the community. Radio 88.9/99.5 FM video streamed the 2-hour forum live on its Facebook page, allowing thousands of people to watch and engage with the discussion.

The event was also well-attended in person, with members of the public and local business leaders engaging with the candidates and asking questions on a range of topics.