Labor candidate for Canberra Alicia Payne has been criticised for her decision not to attend an environment-focused election forum, but a row has erupted over how the event was portrayed to attendees.
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The Climate Election Candidates Forum was organised by the inner north Stop Adani group, and the four known candidates for the Canberra electorate were invited.
While the Greens' Tim Hollo and Australian Progressives' Robert Knight attended, Liberal candidate Mina Zaki and Labor's Ms Payne sent written answers to a list of questions.
At the event, Josh Creaser who was MC and one of the event's organisers, told the crowd all candidates had been offered a number of dates in a bid to try and find a time when the most candidates were available.
Until 4pm on Tuesday, the organisers were told Ms Payne wouldn't be attending, but then received a text message from her campaign manager to say she would be there. A later text message reversed the decision, confirming she would not be attending.
While the event was advertised as an opportunity for candidates to "outline their climate plans," it also said they would be asked if they would commit to stopping the Adani coal mine among other issues.
The event included four chairs with the names and parties of those invited, in front of a large "stop Adani" sign, and much of the signage and paraphernalia related to the controversial Queensland mine project.
Ms Payne said on Wednesday she "chose not to attend a forum that was designed to wedge Labor".
"When organisers claimed it was a general forum on climate change I was inclined to go, but it became apparent this is not what it was but instead a forum designed to suit one party's political platform," she said.
"I would like to note that originally this forum was promoted as a broad climate change forum, which was the basis on which I initially considered my attendance."
Ms Payne said she is happy to discuss climate change and the environment in open forums and had invited the Stop Adani group to a forum she held with Labor's environment spokesman Mark Butler in February.
"It was made very clear that what Alicia was being invited to was a climate forum with Adani as a subset of that," Mr Creaser said.
"It was made very clear to them that wasn't the sole focus of the event."
The Adani coal mine has been a difficult issue for the Labor party, with the party trying to win marginal seats in Queensland where the mine would be located, and where unemployment issues will turn votes.
In other inner-city electorates, environmental activists are calling for the mine's environmental approvals to be blocked, due to concerns around the effect coal mining and power generation will have on greenhouse gas emissions, as well as concerns for the flora and fauna in Queensland.