Hosted by the Far South Coast Community and United Unions, six of the 10 confirmed candidates fielded questions posed by the organisers as well as the audience at Club Sapphire Merimbula.

In attendance were Andrew Thaler (Independent), Toni McLennan (Informed Medical Options Party), Kristy McBain (Labor), James Holgate (Sustainable Australia Party), Darren Garnon (United Australia Party), and Greg Butler (Democrats). Maxwell Holmes from the Liberal-Democrats introduced himself via a phone call.

Missing were Liberal Jerry Nockles, Vivian Harris of the Greens and Boyd Shannon from One Nation.

FSCCUU chairman Craig Malcolm said he was pleased with the forum's attendance and outcome, with a wide range of topics discussed, including employment, environment, vaccine mandates and health.

"All aspects from jobs, housing, all allied health services, and significant key fundamental drivers were addressed by the candidates," Mr Malcolm said.

"I'd like to thank the candidates for attending and sharing their views."

"It was a very controlled crowd and everyone walked away happy," he said.

While the Q&A portion of the night got a little bogged down in COVID lockdowns and vaccine mandate debate, there were also solid questions on affordable housing, employment and manufacturing, aged care, and the environment discussed.

One audience member asked candidates where they stood on the aged pension and if they agreed the amount a pensioner can earn before they start to lose their pension and start to have to pay tax should be lifted considerably.

"That would cost the government nothing and yet it would make a very big difference to a lot of pensioners," he said.

For many of the candidates, this was just one of several topics that fed back into the significant issues of affordable housing and tax reform.

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Sitting MP Kristy McBain said the current tax legislation was "four books full of stuff that doesn't make sense to anyone any longer".

"This government has done nothing except for tax cuts, they have not looked at the tax system itself," Ms McBain said.

"We need to understand going forward the future of work and what we can do that will make a real difference."

For UAP candidate Mr Garnon it was about "giving dignity back" to those who had worked hard their whole lives and who still had skills worthy of passing on the new generations.

Those sentiments were echoed by Ms McLennan.

"Anyone who is over retirement age, you have contributed to make this country what it is. It is a cultural disgrace that we are allowing people to suffer in retirement and it doesn't have to be so," she said.

Edward Peterson, who turns 18 a week before the election and was by a long way the youngest person in the room, asked candidates about "something really important to me and the younger generations".

"What reassurance and immediate action can you promise to provide the younger generation on climate change and the global environment?"

Mr Thaler started off by asking "what is climate change? It means different things to different people".

"It's an incredibly complex topic and now an emotional one for many people.

"It's a multigenerational problem. We can't keep burning coal, we can't just put solar panels on all houses either.

"It's going to be a cost balance between what we can afford to do versus what we have to do. If we all do what we believe we should do, plus a bit more, then we might start to see a change."

Mr Holgate said young people "didn't have a monopoly of being concerned about the environment".

"We should accept the science - to do nothing is criminal neglect," Mr Holgate added.

"We need to invest in technology that makes fossil fuels redundant as quickly as possible. Redefine growth as not more stuff, but better stuff."

Hear more from the candidates on the variety of questions posed in the video of the forum below.

Meanwhile, Clean Energy For Eternity (CEFE) has joined with the Bermagui Community Forum to host a candidates forum at the Bermagui Country Club on Sunday, May 1, 10-11.30am.

The forum is hoping to gauge the approach of candidates on topics including the economy, energy infrastructure, the environment, health, security and social issues.