Bennelong Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy slams Labor’s Jerome Laxale over development

A Liberal candidate vying to win former Prime Minister John Howard’s old seat of Bennelong has taken a swipe at his Labor rival, saying he wants to clean up the mess left by the former Ryde mayor.

Bennelong Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy has taken a swipe at his rival Jerome Laxale and said he wanted to clean the mess the “mayor of overdevelopment has left us” — comments which the Labor hopeful dismissed.

Mr Kennedy unleashed on the former Ryde mayor turned federal political candidate during a Liberal Party announcement at Dundas Valley on Wednesday when it revealed the 20 sites where it would spend $37 million to upgrade roads.

“Bennelong is close to being ruined by traffic congestion and overdevelopment,’’ Mr Kennedy, the former Epping Boys’ High School captain, said.

“Under his watch, he personally voted in favour of a 63-storey mega development in Ryde. Under his watch as mayor, the council exceeded its development targets by 30 per cent.

“The mayor of overdevelopment has stuffed our local roads and I’m here to fix them.’’

He said Victoria, Marsden and Epping roads needed upgrades and he aimed to work with the state government to start “cleaning up the mess the mayor of overdevelopment has left us”.

But Mr Laxale, who was Ryde’s Mayor for five years until late last year, has hit back and said he moved a motion to block the 63-storey Meriton development at Talavera Rd in Macquarie Park.

Liberal Bennelong candidate Simon Kennedy at Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club on April 23 when he launched his campaign. Picture: Simon Bullard

“As Mayor, I have stood up to the state Liberal rezonings and housing targets he is referring to,’’ Mr Laxale said.

“As Mayor, I supported attempts by the council to reduce our housing target. The Liberal state government refused it.

“These development issues are the responsibility of the state government and the Liberal party has failed Bennelong.’’

Mr Laxale said he was fighting for raising the childcare subsidy to 90 per cent to reduce the cost of living for 10,000 Bennelong families; making housing more affordable and climate change action.

Bennelong Labor candidate Jerome Laxale, at Top Ryde City, has defended his stance on development. Picture: Toby Zerna

“It’s a shame that Scott Morrison’s candidate is again resorting to smear and attempting to deflect from federal issues plaguing this tired Liberal government,’’ Mr Laxale said.

“Where is his plan for climate action, an anti-corruption commission or reducing the cost of living? I have plans to address all of those issues locally.’’

Mr Kennedy has run on a campaign of boosting the post Covid economic recovery and upgrading roads.

At a Business Western Sydney federal election debate on Wednesday, panellist and former Ryde MP Michael Photios predicted Labor to win Bennelong. Incumbent Liberal MP John Alexander announced in November he would not contest the seat at the federal poll so he could retire.

The Liberals hold Bennelong by 6.9 per cent and Labor only won it once in 2007 when Maxine McKew defeated Prime Minister John Howard in his own seat.

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