WE NOW have a possible 35 candidates (to date) who will be contesting the council election in March either as councillors or as mayor.

It is with curiosity that I pose the following questions:

1. How many of these candidates have formed alliances with other candidates - promising preferences to one another, or with other influencing people both from inside and outside the council machinations (and to what cost - voting as requested/told to and noton the merit of the issue tabled)?

2. Are they prepared to stand up and make decisions for the region based on unbiased research and conversations with the parties who will be affected by the way they vote instead of being swayed by directions given from council staff (which may not necessarily be unbiased)?

3. Why not return to Divisions - where people will then know that the candidate they are voting for is truly a representative of the people within that area and will have the areas best interests at heart?

4. Will these candidates read the current planning scheme so that they fully understand the complexities of development applications and the impacts these applications can have on the environment and neighbours, or will they, as was the case for the Rowland Street development, simply take on blind faith the recommendation the council officers give?

5. Can they be the best candidate for the mayoral position without having had any council experience previously?

Are they across all the issues concerning this region?

Are they prepared to go and speak and listen to people in all areas of the region, not just Stanthorpe and Warwick?

Will they be passionate and interested in all issues and not just the ones that will shine a spotlight on them?

The need for fresh viewpoints is needed, but as the people who will be affected by decisions made by the next batch of councillors, do some research, ask some questions - what experience and knowledge have the candidates got that make them a better choice for our region for the next four years?

We need people on the council who will not simply follow the pack but will investigate, ask the tough questions and make their own decisions.

The region's voters deserve transparency from the candidates, both in the lead-up to the election and while they are serving the region for the next fouryears.

After all, a lot of these candidates are standing because they believe they can do a better job and will be more open and honest than the sitting council.

If this is the case, lay your cards on the table, have it on the public record who you are aligning with in the lead-up, and what arrangements you have made to work with other candidates (or anyone else) while serving for the next four years.

Surely it is better to be transparent now than be caught out later and be tarred with the same brush some are currently using on the sitting councillors!

- Concerned Citizen,

Warwick