Riverina Pub Test panel are deciding their votes after election week defined by housing affordability

The five Riverina voters - a cross section of our local community - weigh in on everything from the past week's biggest issues to who came out on top.

No issue defined the week more than housing affordability, so we asked our panel how the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raising the interest rate for the first time in more than 11 years will impact them.

After being unable to pick a winner from last week, Maureen Donlon declared one for week four of the campaign trail.

"I think over the last seven days, Albo has the edge," she said.

"[Prime Minister Scott Morrison is] tying to pretend that interest rates don't matter and they're nothing to do with him - which is basically true.

"But having claimed for so long that they are the good money managers, and they reside over low interest and all the rest of it."

Mrs Donlon attended last week's Riverina candidate forum and came away less than impressed.

"I looked at them all and I listened to them all introducing themselves and I was getting really sad," she said.

However, the retiree was left most impressed by Greens candidate Michael Organ, and said the biggest issue for Wagga raised at the forum was the Inland Rail debate.

As for the RBA's announcement, the rise will most impact Mrs Donlon's retirement savings.

"We are heading towards retirement and therefore rising interest rates help secure our superannuation and what savings we do have," she said.

"But the 5 per cent inflation has wiped out the purchasing power significantly of what we're expecting to retire with."

Also unable to declare a winner last time we spoke, farmer Joash Parker was a little more decided on who came out on top this week.

"Maybe ScoMo a little bit better," he said.

"He interviews better, I think. Whether that makes him a better Prime Minister or not, I don't know.

"Only marginal difference, I'd say."

Although unable to pick out a major moment from the week, Mr Parker was able to discern a clear theme - that of economic management.

"It's been surprising to see how much Labor's been trying to champion themselves," he said.

"Usually, it's the Liberals who see themselves as having a better economic management credentials."

On economic management and the impact of rising interest rates, Mr Parker is a little concerned but was prepared for recent changes entering the housing market.

"When we entered into that last year we knew rates were at record lows and it could only go up," he said.

"We're budgeting for interest rates to hit 4 or 5 per cent in the next 18 months."

Expecting a hung parliament, Mr Parker said he plans to register a protest vote against living in one of Australia's safest seats.

"I won't be voting with a major party. So, I'll probably be voting a couple of independents first and then Nationals, Labor and Greens."

Gabriel Brown felt a sense of despair reflecting on the week that was.

"It's a most devastatingly going nowhere, nothing sort of campaign," she said, putting Mr Albanese slightly in front for the week.

"Nobody's going to say anything, so they just spend their time trying to catch the other out in some sort of mistake.

"There's no contest of ideas, it's just boring and frustrating."

Although staying well abreast of the campaign and its media coverage, Mrs Brown could not point to a notable moment from the past seven days.

"No, nothing," she said.

"Just a bland, grey nothingness."

At this stage, the Glenfield Park retiree doesn't anticipate a clear election result.

"I suspect it's going to be nobody with a clear majority, because hopefully, there'll be Greens and independents in there. And after that, it depends who can horse trade," she said.

With no mortgage left to pay off, the uncertainties around interest rates don't directly impact Mrs Brown, but are a concern for her children and grandchildren.

Uncle James Ingram was this week's most confident participant in picking a major party winner.

"I believe the Labor Party has done well," he said.

"Honesty is shining through and I like the business about helping out low income earners with housing and owning their own home."

IN OTHER NEWS:

Like many voters, the week's key issue was clear for Mr Ingram.

"I think the interest rate [rise] has come at the right time, if you can say that, because it shows that we're gonna get hammered over the next 12 months with further rate rises," he said.

"This fallacy that the Liberal Party is saying 'trust us to manage the economy', and it's showing that they aren't really the managers that they pretend to be."

As a renter, Mr Ingram is concerned about how an uncertain interest rate will impact cost of living.

"I'm expecting my rent to rise," he said.

"Rents are going to rise, food prices are going to rise, living, it's gonna rise."

Electrician Po Tiwangce's vote is still up for grabs but he is leaning towards supporting the current government in power.

"ScoMo, I think he's better than Anthony Albanese," Mr Tiwangce said.

"But we'll see what happens. I'll choose last minute, I suppose."

Recently pre-approved for a home loan, Mr Tiwangce is ready for the uncertainties he now faces as a new home buyer.

"It just means it's gonna be expensive, right?" he said.

"Expensive to borrow money for us, but I guess we're all right at the moment.

"It's going to impact us but I don't know what else we can do about that."

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