Conservative candidate covered in manure during local election campaign

Corflutes covered in horse manure, dodgy advertising material, Covid breaches, dobbing on spelling mistakes and calling out bullsh*t: The NSW local government elections just got dirtier.

Every term local council elections serve up their fair share of dirty tricks, but never this dirty.

Comeback politician and Liverpool mayor hopeful Ned Mannoun has laughed off an overnight attack which has left images of his face covered in manure.

Liberal Ned Mannoun and Labor’s Nathan Hagarty have both condemned the incident, which happened overnight at Greenway Park Public School in Sydney’s southwest.

At least six of Mr Mannoun’s corflutes were left covered in what appeared to be horse manure.

Labor volunteers were able to get the number plate of a suspicious car which was seen leaving the area late Friday night.

They have reported the matter to police.

“Shit happens – what can you do,” an amused Mr Nannoun told The Sunday Telegraph from the polling booths.

Liberal Ned Mannoun's corflutes outside Greenway Park Public School near Liverpool.

Manure smeared over Ned Mannoun signs.

Labor’s mayoral hopeful Nathan Hagarty said “I obviously deny any involvement”.

“This is a ridiculous and disgusting stunt and not something that we want for Liverpool,” Mr Hagarty, who has replaced long-serving mayor Wendy Waller as the mayoral candidate, said.

Around the state 126 councils are going to the polls – 15 months later than what they were supposed to.

The terms have been cut to two and a half years.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said officers attached to Liverpool City Police Area Command were investigating the vandalism of signs outside a polling location in West Hoxton overnight.

“Police were called to Greenway Public School on Wyattville Rd about 11.20pm Friday, December 3, and found how-to-vote signs had been removed from a fence and covered with what’s believed to be manure,” she said.

“Officers have spoken with several people, however, inquiries are continuing.

“Anyone with information about those involved in the vandalism is urged to call Liverpool City Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

CLOSE CALL

Northern beaches independent councillor Vince De Luca claims a man “drove at me in a truck” while he was at a polling booth at Cromer on Sydney’s northern beaches on Saturday.

Police have been notified.

In a video viewed by The Sunday Telegraph, a man in a truck is seen driving past saying “stop taking a photo, you are a f**king loser”.

Unauthorised signs targeting Independent councillor Vince De Luca were placed at polling booths.

Mr De Luca said he has also been subject to an unauthorised political campaign to oust him via signs out the front of polling booths.

He claims it is connected to his campaign to make council contracts more transparent.

“These guys are obviously being paid to be there,” Mr De Luca said.

“They are thugs.”

The signs, which have since been taken down, said “don’t waste your vote on De Luca, vote for the community”.

‘FOLLOW THE RULES’

Meanwhile at the City of Sydney, Liberal Shauna Jarrett is unlikely to get the top job over incumbent Clover Moore, but she is aiming for three Liberal seats on council – one more than previous.

Speaking from near Bourke Street Public School in Surry Hills this morning, she took aim at other candidates for not following the rules.

Liberal candidate Shauna Jarrett in Surry Hills this morning. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“You are not supposed to be handing out how to votes cards because of Covid-19 restrictions, yet this morning there are candidates doing this,” she said.

“This election is not about us, it is about the community. If you are handing out how to votes it does not say much about their attitude to the community.”

At a midday press conference, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she was aware of the allegations and “I know that the booth managers have been spoken to about that”.

“It has been a hard election because this has been postponed twice, and this time our volunteers are being told they can’t hand out at the polling booths,” Ms Moore said from outside Surry Hills Library.

“And that’s going against everything that happened at any other election. And so they have to stand 100m away as outriders.

“And so when they come up to vote, you have to talk to people. And you know, a lot of people have a non-English-speaking background. So it’s challenging. And I think that’s why it’s a bit difficult to be sure of the outcome.”

Volunteers have been accused of handing out how to vote cards despite Covid-19 restrictions, which tell workers to not hand out material within 100m of a polling place.

The Liberal Party has banned candidates from running as Liberals in Parramatta, Inner West, Cumberland, Strathfield and Bayside Council areas.

This has promoted some candidates to do everything they can to advertise that they are Liberals (without using the banner).

At Bayside Council, conservative candidate Paul Sedrak has been criticised for running a campaign on “Liberal Values”, with a very similar logo to the Liberal Party.

The ‘not-quite-Liberal’ campaign also resulted in some unfortunate errors, with the former teacher misspelling independent as “independant” on his campaign T-shirts.

Bayside Council conservative candidate Paul Sedrak's corflutes and advertising material.

Bayside Council conservative candidate Paul Sedrak's campaign T-shirts misspelling ‘independent’ as ‘independant’.

Mr Sedrak did not respond to comment.

At Inner West, candidate Morris Mansour has been erecting 20-year-old pictures of him with former prime minister John Howard and former premier Nick Greiner.

Liberal Julie Passas, who is running as a conservative independent, said “this is misleading the public. He is not a Liberal and has been put up by Labor to try and get rid of me”.

Inner West candidate Morris Mansour – who has not been a Liberal Party member since 2012 – is using pictures of him with Liberal luminaries John Howard and Nick Greiner.

Mr Mansour said he has been endorsed by the Liberals seven times – including for on local council.

He has not been a member of the Liberal Party since 2012 because of what he claims is “rotten branch stacking in Ashfield”.

“This is all part of my history,” he said of the pictures with Mr Howard.

“It is all bullshit what Julie Passas is saying – she is just feeling the pressure.”

KEY AREAS

CLOVER’S CITY

While there is a strong field of female candidates, 17-year Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore looks set to be returned for yet another term.

The only question is whether her team gets the 6/10 (or more) majority that she achieved in 2016.

She will not receive preferences from Labor and the Greens this time around, making a majority slightly more difficult.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore on election day. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“I think the good thing about having a majority is - if you’ve got a progressive program and you make commitments and you ensure you honour them - then you get support of the community,” she said.

The City of Sydney’s first Indigenous mayoral candidate Yvonne Weldon thinks otherwise.

“There have been a lot of people that have turned against Clover Moore and actually some of the larger parties have been pretty much on the nose,” she said Saturday.

“I’m actually confident that quite a few of us will get on council. I’m hoping for three.”

BATTLE FOR PARRAMATTA

Our second CBD is tipped to become a Labor stronghold after the Liberal Party decided to not run endorsed candidates.

Labor has held five of the 15 seats at Parramatta Council and is hoping to at least get one more on board, increasing the chances of a Labor mayor.

The change would be a body blow for the Liberals, who arguably expanded the Parramatta Council boundaries during council amalgamations to include Liberal-dominated areas.

Asked about the likelihood of him becoming mayor, elder statesman and Labor candidate Pierre Esber “we are not thinking about that”.

“Any increase in (the number of councillors) would be a great result,” he said.

“Just because the Liberals are not running does not mean that we will get the extra votes.”

SOUTH-WEST STOUSH

Comeback kid and former Liberal mayor Ned Mannoun is hoping to return to the top-spot he held on Liverpool Council between 2012 and 2016.

The only Liberal mayor in what is a traditional Labor stronghold, Mr Mannoun has run on a ticket of better management of council resources, including exposing the wastage on a new council building.

“There is a lot of optimism in the community and a real mood for change,” he said Saturday.

In his way is Labor’s Nathan Hagarty, who is hoping to replace outgoing Labor Mayor Wendy Waller as the new mayor.

“We are feeling quietly confident,” he said.

FIGHT THEM ON THE BEACHES

Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan is sweating on challenger Rory Amon not getting a second councillor across the line.

If Mr Amon were to get former Manly councillor Karina Page alongside him, he would likely get the support of popular independent Vince De Luca and others - paving the path to the mayoralty.

Regardless, Mr Regan and his Your Northern Beaches Independent Team, are expected to do well in each ward.

The 15-seat council was one of the only conservative areas in Sydney to be amalgamated in 2016.

There will be at least six new faces on the next council.