Forum offers peek behind political curtain ahead of election

In short:

A women's collective in south-west Victoria has hosted a forum aimed at answering questions about government and elections, away from party politics.

Two former Labor staffers answered questions from a small audience.

What's next?

Victorians go to the polls on November 28.

Have you ever wondered why politicians don't show their personality more?

Or how much influence staffers have on policy?

Or why political parties don't reveal all their policies and promises at once?

If so, then you're not alone.

A small crowd of people gathered in Warrnambool last night with all those questions and more in mind, hoping for a peek behind the political curtain, free of the promises, pledges and politicking.

Organised by the Good Company Collective, a south-west Victorian women-led networking group, the forum allowed the audience to ask questions of Bindi Gove, a former chief of staff to a federal minister for resources and tourism, and Sean Sammon, who worked as a staffer under the Rudd-Gillard government.

The collective's Gabrielle Toscan, who is Mr Sammon's sister, said the idea behind the event was not about party politics, but rather to give the community access to experts.

"I'm really lucky that I get an insider's view into politics through my sibling and I think that changes how I view it," Ms Toscan said.

"I thought 'what a great opportunity to actually build that connection with politics'.

"[But] we were nervous around how it would be perceived, because we're not a political group."

The burning questions

Many questions centred around transparency in politics.

One person asked why politicians did not reveal all their policies and announcements at once before an election.

Following Ms Gove's explanation that policy announcements can be a tactical move for governments, the attendee followed up with, "doesn't that say that politics isn't real, that it's all staged and planned?"

Both speakers agreed there was often plenty of theatre in politics, leading into a discussion about why politicians may or may not choose to show their personality to the public.

Mr Sammon shared anecdotes of the preparation and rehearsal that happens before a politician speaks at a press conference, arming themselves with scripted messages instead of speaking freely.

While being open and casual can work well for some politicians, he said it could be risky for those currently in government who had to be able to back up every claim they make.

Another audience member asked how much influence staffers had on policy.

Ms Gove told the crowd the answer varies depending who the staffer is and their background.

She said as someone who had worked in the private sector before going into politics, she found her input on policy was often well-respected and taken into account more so than career staffers.

Peeking behind the curtain

Among the crowd was first-time voter Maisie Rentsch, who said she was keen to have the system explained in a more candid way.

"I found the [explanation of] preferential voting really interesting," Ms Rentsch said.

"Understanding how that actually works, and understanding how our region is broken up into different parts [was helpful]."

The crowd also asked questions about the difference between the upper and lower house, where to get information as a postal voter, and the difference between a state and federal seat.

But for people like Warrnambool resident Marie Bird, the event was a chance to get expert insights.

"I thought what a great opportunity to see behind other doors of politics that we don't normally get an opportunity to hear about," Ms Bird said.

"[I wanted to] see how decisions are made, the complexity of the decisions and maybe get a better understanding why some decisions are made over others."

Attendee Emma Kavanagh, who was there with her daughter, said she found it valuable "hearing a little bit of insight internally of the workings of parliament".

"Insider information, so to speak," she said.