Kingston MP Amanda Rishworth banned from Seaford Central Shopping Centre over Labor’s ‘inaction’ on land taxes

A shopping centre owner has banned Labor MP Amanda Rishworth from running a community engagement stall at his complex because he says the party has snubbed him.

Labor MP Amanda Rishworth outside Seaford Central Shopping Centre. Pic: Supplied

A shopping centre owner has banned Labor MP Amanda Rishworth from running a community engagement stall at his complex because he says the party has snubbed him.

Ms Rishworth, the federal member for Kingston in Adelaide’s south, has attended the Seaford Central Shopping Centre to speak with constituents for more than a decade.

Owner Harry Perks says the party’s inaction on land taxes prompted him to kick the ALP’s rising star out of his shopping centre — and he has not ruled out doing it to other Labor MPs in his other complexes.

Centre management at Seaford Central last month informed Ms Rishworth that its community table was now only for charity organisations.

Shoppers backed their MP on a social media following a Facebook post about the rejection by Ms Rishworth.

Ms Rishworth said after 11 years, the feedback she had received from local residents was that they appreciated the opportunity to meet and discuss issues.

“Seaford Central should appreciate and understand that their shoppers have a variety of different views and deserve to be able to express them,” she said.

“I am deeply concerned to hear that this decision by Seaford Central might have been made based on political bias.”

The centre was bought in 2018 by PPI Funds Management, which also owns centres in Whyalla, Mt Barker, Victor Harbor, Roxby Downs, Hyde Park, Naracoorte, Berri and Greenacres.

PPI Funds Management executive director Harry Perks told The Advertiser the ousting comes after years of beef with the former state Labor government.

Mr Perks said land tax on properties such as Seaford was double every other state in Australia.

“One of the biggest businesses in this state is property,” Mr Perks said.

“I had been saying to the Labor government in this state, ‘guys, we need to get land tax in line with other states’.

“And all they say is. ‘why should we help you, you don’t vote for us’.”

Mr Perks said he made the decision in the lead up to the 2018 State Election because the Liberals had a policy to balance land tax.

“Amanda, she has been doing a lot of work in the shopping centre over a period of time, but we have changed our attitude because we are sick of it being one direction,” he said.

“Why should we help you get elected when you don’t give us a level playing field? They did nothing.”

When asked by The Advertiser if he would let other political candidates have a stall at Seaford or any of his other centres, Mr Perks said he would address it when it occurred.

He has also vetted religious groups from his centres.

“You try to be fair to the people in the shopping centre, do they want to be harassed by everyone?

“Whether it is politics, religion … we don’t need it.”

When asked if he was a Liberal voter, Mr Perks said he had an “open mind”.