Independent and minor party candidates line up to contest Blacktown Council election

INDEPENDENT  candidates and minor parties are set to fight a David-and-Goliath battle against the major players at next month’s Blacktown Council election

Chris Winslow, Greens candidate for Blacktown Council election

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INDEPENDENT  candidates and minor parties are set to fight a David-and-Goliath battle against the major players at next month’s Blacktown Council election.

Almost 80 candidates are standing in the election on September 10.

Last week, they learnt what position they will take on the ballot paper, with top spots seen as a potential advantage. The Liberals, led by councillor Jess Diaz, were drawn in the No.1 position in three wards.

Jaymes Diaz

Independent and minor party candidates who spoke to the Advocate said dissatisfaction with the major parties and the success of minor parties at the Federal Election played into their decision to contest the election.

Jaymes Diaz’s nomination in Ward 2 for the Liberals also appears to have drawn people into the contest.

The son of Cr Diaz is best known for his gaffe during the 2013 Federal Election campaign when, as the Liberal candidate for Greenway, he did not know the party’s policy on stopping the boats. He went to ground following his blunder and refused to talk to the media.

Gino Belcastro, part of Blacktown Residents’ Voice, said the group hoped to win two spots on the council.

“You only have to look at what happened at the federal level to see this is possible,” he said. “Pauline Hanson got just over one million votes because people are unhappy with the major parties and politicians. We want to take the politics out of our local government.”

Ward 2 is the most hotly contested, with six candidates nominating. Mr Belcastro said the fact so many parties had decided to nominate candidates for Ward 2 showed it was winnable.

“People want the best candidate for the area,” he said. “I didn’t think Jaymes Diaz was the best candidate for the Federal Election and he’s not the best candidate at this election.”

Gino Belcastro, Blacktown Residents Voice candidate

Ward 2 independent candidate Jonathan Handley said he chose not to align himself with a political party because he was uncomfortable with being “boxed in”. “I want to be seen as a practical candidate, not a candidate with an ideology or agenda,” he said. Mr Handley said Mr Diaz’s decision to contest the council election was a factor in his decision to run.

“As an independent, I thought I don’t have a chance but when I saw Jaymes Diaz’s name come up, I thought, you know what, I’m going to go for it,” he said. “I had friends who said, ‘We don’t want Jaymes Diaz as our representative, have a shot at it’, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Mr Diaz did not return calls about the matter. Mayor Stephen Bali, who is contesting Ward 4 for Labor, said he was not worried about the independents.

“It’s democracy,” he said. “The only thing I ask people do is take a keen interest in what these people stand for and believe in. While Labor is clear on what our policy and past record is, a lot of people running have their own self-interest.”

Ballot draw

WARD 1

1: Jess Diaz (Liberal)

2: Chris Quilkey (Labor)

3: Kurt Hippe (Blacktown Residents’ Voice)

4: Yelda Chembirika (Ind)

WARD 2  

Grouped

1: Jaymes Diaz (Liberal)

2: Aaron Wright (Christian Democratic Party)

3: Chris Winslow (Greens)

4: Gino Belcastro (BRV)

5: Leo Kelly (Labor)  

Ungrouped

1: Jonathan Handley

WARD 3

1: James Stojanovski (BRV)

2: Amelia Kerridge (Greens)

3: Frederick Brillo
(Liberal)

4: Russ Dickens (Ind)

5: Susai Benjamin (Labor) 6. Monir Monirul Islam (Ind)

WARD 4  

Grouped

1: Linda Santos (Liberal)

2: Steve Bali (Labor)

3: Kittu Randhawa (Ind)

4: Jacqueline Donaldson (Ind)  

Ungrouped

1: Ashish Kumar (BRV)

2: Helen Woods (Greens)