Premier slams ‘muckraking’ as Dunstan by-election candidate Cressida O’Hanlon faces ‘serious questions’ from Liberals

The Premier has hit back at claims Labor’s star candidate for the increasingly bitter battle for Dunstan has “serious questions” to answer over her husband’s business.

Premier Peter Malinauskas says allegations that Labor Dunstan by-election candidate Cressida O’Hanlon’s husband’s business received “preferential treatment” have no credibility.

Speaking at a “campaign blitz” at Kensington’s Borthwick Park before about 200 people on Sunday, Mr Malinauskas and Ms O’Hanlon were asked by The Advertiser if her husband’s business, Citadel Secure, had revived special treatment.

Ms O’Hanlon said that was not the case.

Dunstan candidate Cressida O’Hanlon with Premier Peter Malinauskas on Sunday. Picture: Dean Martin

“It’s completely false,” she said.

“These are complete fabrications and lies that have been said under the protection of parliamentary privilege,” she said, adding: “If there was anything to this they would have been said outside of parliament.”

Mr Malinauskas said it was not clear what the allegations and serious questions to answer were.

“It’s pretty elementary, ill-thought through coward muckraking from the Liberal Party,” he said.

Their comments come after the Opposition said there were “serious questions” after documents released under Freedom of Information laws revealed government interactions with Ms Hanlon’s husband’s business Citadel Secure.

Ms Hanlon was also accused under parliamentary privilege last month of breaching strict lobbying rules over leaked correspondence with her husband.

Labor candidate Cressida O’Hanlon voting for the Dunstan by-election. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

She last week said that a February 7, 2023 email, tabled in parliament, was for “editorial input” for a business pitch to Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion.

Opposition spokeswoman Michelle Lensink there appeared to be “lobbying-type activity”.

“It appears that as a result of his email to (his) wife, James O’Hanlon was able to jump the queue to attain a meeting for his business Citadel Secure with Nick Champion,” she said.

“What is unclear is why (his) office requested a ‘favour’ for Citadel Secure.”

A Labor spokesman rejected the claims on Saturday saying the Liberals had “no criticisms of substance” and denied DTI funds for the firm.

“This is a disgraceful attack by the Liberals on an award-winning small business and a decorated war veteran who served his country with distinction in Rwanda, East Timor and Afghanistan,” he said.

Last month a Labor spokesman said: “Mr O’Hanlon’s business does not engage in lobbying, nor is it required to be registered as a lobbyist. The business has not received a cent from the State Government.”

The Premier’s response comes as Liberal rising star Ashton Hurn was hosing down questions about the Opposition leader’s future in his role.

“The reality is, David Speirs is the leader of the Liberal Party, he’s working extraordinarily hard in the seat of Dunstan,” Ms Hurn told a media conference on Sunday.

“He will be our leader at the next election.

“He’s doing a fantastic job.”

Ms Hurn said Mr Speirs was out campaigning in Dunstan ahead of next weekend’s poll

“It is absolutely a by-election that can send Peter Malinauskas a message,” she said.