``That candidates have chosen such marginal issues as the saving of a post office over the lives of 24,000 caring families is very disappointing indeed.''

Advance Morwell president John Guy claimed there was not only a focus on the post office in the lead-up to the by-election, but a focus on Traralgon generally.

``The only person that has contacted us to talk about the by-election is the National Party candidate, we've had no contact from other candidates,'' he said.

Mr Guy said he believed the major issue for the Latrobe Valley was unemployment.

He said according to Latrobe City Council figures, unemployment in the Latrobe Valley overall was currently at 7.8 per cent.

``We've got a high unemployment rate and that needs to be addressed.

``I think we need some sort of analysis of unemployment to see where the jobs are and what we need. We need cooperation between employment and TAFE agencies to make sure those skills are available,'' Mr Guy added.

Barrier Breakers secretary Derek Amos said he did not believe the Traralgon Post Office was an issue for the by-election.

``Quite frankly the building will be there, it's heritage listed I think the building should run as an active post office, but there are more important things to worry about,'' he said.

``We do have a crisis in terms of accommodation for people with mental illness.

``Mental health is certainly a major issue and I think we've had only one candidate, The Greens, mention it.''

Mr Amos has launched a campaign to fight for increased accommodation for people living with a mental illness.

Traralgon Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Harvey Pynt, who kicked off the campaign to retain postal services in Franklin Street said the issue highlighted the potential for other services to be cut across Gippsland.

He said this made the Traralgon Post Office a Gippsland-wide issue.

The intensity of the campaign has been lost east of Traralgon at Rosedale.

Rosedale Chamber of Commerce president Bruce Lobley said he had discussed Rosedale-specific issues with some by-election candidates.

``The post office, from this end hasn't been the main issue.

``I've seen other candidates with the post office issue but I'm certain they're focusing on many issues,'' he said.

Mr Fitzgerald said he had received a ``strong and positive reaction'' from the Traralgon community over the post office campaign and this was an indication of how important the issue was to them.

``We are drawing a line in Traralgon saying the Liberals and Rohan Fitzgerald aren't prepared to let the government strip services in our community,'' he said.

Mr Fitzgerald said messages conveying his stance on other issues would ``become a lot stronger and clearer'' before voters go to the polls on 28 June.

He said ensuring the survival of the power industry in the Latrobe Valley was a major issue and he wanted to see the transition to an emissions trading scheme was ``appropriate.''

``I will be fighting for roads and infrastructure and making sure the road between Traralgon and Sale is duplicated,'' he said.

Nationals candidate Darren Chester agreed the post office issue was important to the people of Traralgon, but it wasn't ``the most important issue of the campaign''.

He said job losses in the coal, timber and farming industries were of major concern for Gippsland people, along with the cost of living pressures on pensioners and carers.

Mr Chester said he believed the Gippsland community was ``only just starting to focus on all of the issues'', but he had raised many of them on his website and during forums.

``I've raised the pension issue quite a lot in media interviews, people don't hear everything you say, but there's a whole range of topics,'' he said.

The Traralgon Post Office has been described as a ``non-issue'' by Labor candidate Darren McCubbin.

``It's unfortunate other candidates have allowed themselves to be side-tracked,'' he said.

Mr McCubbin said he supported the retention of postal services at Franklin Street and nobody had said it was going to close down.

``The big issues for this area are jobs, a good health system and education and that our families are looked after, this (post office) is a non-issue.''

Greens candidate Malcolm McKelvie said it was ``disappointing that the Liberal Party was focusing on such a small local issue''.

``There are much larger issues that we should all be talking about including climate change, education and health,'' Dr McKelvie said.

``I think worrying about both the Traralgon Post Office and the proposed Princes Highway duplication between Traralgon and Sale is a little off the mark in terms of what needs to be discussed.''

Liberty and Democracy Party candidate Ben Buckley said the Traralgon Post Office campaign was ``overdone to blazes''.

``I don't think they should bother making an election campaign out of the thing, there are other issues.''