This Woman Accused “Q&A” Of Avoiding Her Question About CSG And Her Dad’s Suicide

"Why are you wasting my time?"

On last night's Q&A, Helen Bender asked a question ten days after her father committed suicide following a 10-year battle with CSG (Coal Seam Gas) industry.

ABC

Bender was critical of the government's continued insistence that CSG companies should be able to mine underneath land that does not belong to them - something the Member for Hunter, Joel Fitzgibbon, later said was "not going to change any time soon."

Bender's father George was a Chinchilla cotton grower whose land had been impacted by the arrival of CSG activities. His death has resulted in a call for an inquiry into the impacts of the CSG industry on communities.

Fitzgibbon said the international investment that came from CSG was imperative to Australia's economy, and also defended the issue as something that is heavily state-based.

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Singer Katie Noonan immediately countered Fitzgibbon, saying his arguments were weak and a national issue.

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And Nationals Senator and Minister for Rural Health Fiona Nash said farmers should be able to say no, going against her party's policy.

ABC Q&A @QandA

.@SenatorNash says farmers should be able to say No and state governments should make those changes possible #QandA https://t.co/xWpfYbFSpP

11:00 AM - 26 Oct 2015

"I'm giving you my very clear view," she said. "If anybody puts themselves in the position of being a farmer on a piece of land, to not have the right to say 'no,' in my view, is wrong."

But Bender was dismissive of the long-winded answers the panel was giving, saying politicians were not paying attention to what was a far greater issue than they realised.

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She then called on them to talk to members of the community and to "make a change," finishing her statement to applause from the rural audience.

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The panel was not able to respond.