The 'Meet the Candidates' discussion, organised by Carolyn Smith of the Hillwood Progress Association, was a chance for community members to interact with their Legislative Council candidates ahead of the election.

Independents Will Smith, Vivienne Gale and Rob Soward were joined by Labor candidate Geoff Lyons and Liberal candidate Nick Duigan.

Retiring member Ivan Dean was among approximately 50 in attendance.

Ms Smith said it was to her knowledge, the only time "all five candidates are going to be in the same room at the same time to talk".

Each candidate first had the opportunity to introduce themselves and their background before fielding questions.

Geoff Lyons said that during his experience door-knocking in the electorate over the last month, health was a constantly recurring topic of conversation, reiterating Labor's commitment to regional healthcare.

When asked by an audience member about the fact that the Legislative Council is seen as a house of review, Mr Lyons said the house hadn't been party-free for a number of years.

"Working within a party gives me a greater opportunity to give people a chance to think that's the way to go," he said.

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Independent candidate Vivienne Gale said she would use her law degree to best understand legislation, and looked forward to advocating for the community.

When asked her opinion on the Legislative Council election being on the same day as the House of Assembly, Ms Gale said she was "gobsmacked".

"Labor and Liberal candidates can go on the coattails of the parties' unlimited spending, but we have to compete on our limited budget ... it's interesting," she said.

Ms Gale was also asked about her opinions on the health of kanamaluka/ Tamar Estuary, and said that while she wasn't an expert, she was unsure whether dredging was the right solution, but said there should be more than one criteria for deciding what was.

Independent Rob Soward detailed his experience in the education sector and as a City of Launceston councillor, and said one of the great things about being independent was working for the public.

"You're my boss, you're the ones that influence what I do," he said.

"To me, if you're really forensic with things, you get the best outcome for everyone."

Independent Will Smith discussed his experience working in the police force, as well as founding JCP Youth.

He said he had been a member of both the Liberal and Labor parties for a "brief period of time", to understand how they formed their opinions and policies.

"I'll work with you and for you with honesty and humility," he said.

Liberal candidate Nick Duigan detailed his business acumen, having run a television production business alongside his work as a television personality.

He said his role would be both in the party room and the parliament.

"Fair and reasonable is what I'm about, and I'll be doing my work in the party room before the legislation comes out," he said.

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