Parramatta, Cumberland council elections 2021: Voting day
A man who allegedly punched a western Sydney mayor in a physical altercation in the local government elections has been charged. Watch the video.
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A man has been charged over a physical altercation in which police will allege he punched Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou at a Merrylands polling booth on Saturday.
Cumberland police were told the mayor had allegedly been threatened and assaulted by a man about 5pm at the Fowler Road School polling booths.
Cops began an investigation, which included interviewing several witnesses and attended a business at Merrylands about 10pm when they arrested a 29-year-old man.
He was taken to Granville police station and charged with common assault. He was given conditional bail to appear at Fairfield Court on Wednesday, January 12.
Footage shows a man yelling at the Our Local Community mayor.
On Saturday night, Cr Christou said: “It is a police matter.
“I’m not commenting on it. It is quite a serious matter.’’
Parramatta Council turns red and green
Parramatta is poised to transform from a Liberal-dominated council into one with more ALP influence and growing Greens power.
In November, the Liberal Party head office, known as the state executive, failed to endorse Liberals on Parramatta Council, including Lord Mayor Steven Issa and Martin Zaiter, who are on the state executive.
Phil Bradley, who became the first Greens councillor to be elected in 2017, is set to re-elected into the Parramatta ward while newcomer Franceska Strano will bolster the party’s influence in the Rosehill ward, with figures so far stating she has 16.73 per cent of the vote.
Counting continues but it appears there will be five Labor representatives, four from Our Local Community, four independents and two Greens.
In the Dundas ward, ParraParents’ Kellie Darley looks set to be elected for the first time, with counting placing her third (22.9 per cent) behind Labor’s Pierre Esber who is leading with 35.56 per cent of the vote and Deputy Lord Mayor Michelle Garrard (Our Local Community) who is second with 26.2 per cent.
It appears Lee Malkoun, a teacher at St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas, will return to the classroom after trailing in fourth spot.
Each of the five Parramatta wards allows three councillors to be elected.
At Epping, Labor’s Donna Davis has so far claimed 49.07 per cent of the vote, followed by seasoned independent councillor Lorraine Wearne (40.36 per cent) and former Liberal councillor turned independent contender Jean Pierre Abood (10.57 per cent).
The North Rocks ward, formerly dominated by Liberals Andrew Jefferies and ex-mayor Bob Dwyer, is altering significantly with Labor’s Ange Humphries 33.24 per cent leading, followed by Georgina Valjak while Greg Edwards has secured enough votes (13.49 per cent) to become Parramatta’s second Greens councillor.
The Parramatta ward sees Sameer Pandey lead, followed by Our Local Community’s Henry Green and Phil Bradley, who was elected as Parramatta’s first Greens councillor in 2017.
The Rosehill ward is being led by Labor’s Patricia Prociv, followed by Our Local Community’s Dan Siviero and the Greens’ Franceska Strano.
Saturday morning: Parramatta, Cumberland voters hit the polls
Voters are heading to the polling booths to vote from a field of almost 60 candidates lobbying for a spot on Parramatta Council, ‘Sydney’s second city’, and neighbouring Cumberland.
For the first time, Parramatta and Cumberland residents will no longer have the option to vote for Liberal councillors in the local government elections.
The head office decision not to endorse candidates has meant several fresh new faces will make up the chamber, while Liberals Steven Issa (Lord Mayor), Martin Zaiter, Bill Tyrrell and Benjamin Barrak are out of contention. Fellow Liberal Andrew Jefferies has stepped away from politics after 13 years.
Prolific resident Kellie Darley, who runs the popular ParraParents group, is hoping to seal enough votes to make her political foray in the Dundas ward, where Deputy Lord Mayor Michelle Garrard, Labor stalwart Pierre Esber and first-time, independent contender Lee Malkoun are jostling to represent the ward.
Ex-Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer did a major about face and decided to run again after he sensationally announced he would quit in August when he Parramatta Council dysfunctional.
The Winston Hills resident is now running as an independent in the North Rocks ward.
Voting will start to be tallied at 6pm on Saturday night.
At Cumberland Council‘s Wentworthville ward, campaigning was done at a distance.
“It’s been tricky because we haven’t been able to hand out leaflets in the polling booths,” Labor councillor Lisa Lake said.
She said it was also a challenge to direct electors on casting formal votes in a community with a high migrant population.
However, pre polling has been popular in the ward, with all voters this year permitted to poll up to a fortnight early.
Dharmendra Solanki, of Wentworthville, said he would vote for Labor “for no particular reason”. “It’s good, it’s growing,” he said of the area.
“We’ve got a lot of facilities here which is good.”
The experienced Cr Lake did not rule out running for mayor if she was re-elected.
“I’d certainly be interested in the position if re-elected,’’ she said.
“I’d have a conversation with the Labor councillors … but we’ve got to win first.’’
Incumbent mayor Steve Christou, who quit Labor in September 2019 to become the Cumberland mayor, is recontesting the election for the Granville ward as the Our Local Community candidate.
He has so far secured 28.6 per cent of the vote but Labor’s Ola Hamed is leading with 43.6 per cent followed by former Liberal Joseph Rahme, who is leading the group of independents.
At Greystanes, Deputy Mayor Eddy Sarkis (Our Local Community) is leading the vote with 38 per cent, followed by 31.79 per cent to Labor hopeful Dr Diane Colman while ex-Labor councillor Greg Cummings leads the independent vote.
Labor is the clear favourite in the Regents Park ward, with Kun Huang’s massive 63.32 per cent of the vote likely to see him re-elected. OLC hopeful Helen Hughes and independent Ned Attie lag behind with 17.08 per cent and 14.55 per cent of formal votes going their way.
Labor is also the overwhelming leader among South Granville electors with Mohamad Hussein leading with 66.89 per cent of the vote, followed by Our Local Community's Paul Garrard.
Labor has so far clinched Wentworthville and leads with 43.10 per cent while ex-Liberal Michael Zaiter, whose campaign slogan pledges to bring party’s values as an independent, is second with 26.49 per cent of votes cast for him.
Our Local Community’s Nadima Kafrouni-Saba Nadima is third in the race with 19.8 per cent of the vote.
INDEPENDENT PUSH
Growing resentment towards major political parties was evident at the Parramatta East Public School booth where Dundas ward candidates Kellie Darley (independent), Lee Malkoun (independent) Michelle Garrard (Deputy Lord Mayor, Our Local Community) and Pierre Esber (Labor) are vying for votes.
Daniel and Caroline, of North Parramatta, cast their votes for Ms Darley, and it will be their last election in the area after heading to Coffs Harbour. They have grown sick of the “mediocrity and misery of Parramatta’’.
“I just feel the politicians have done nothing at all,’’ Caroline, who declined to give her surname, said.
The couple, who has four children, labelled the growth of Parramatta “terrible”.
“It used to be a community, even though it was a big city,’’ Caroline said.
“Now the shops are empty. We feel like no one’s listening. Everything that made the community great is taken away from us.’’
Daniel added: “The city of Sydney is rubbish.’
North Parramatta woman Rosemary Hulak steered away from voting for major parties.
“I voted for independent Kellie Darley because I’ve been pretty involved in the community gardens she’s been involved in and really appreciate the amount of effort she’s put in and I’ve seen that first hand,’’ she said.
“It’s the first time I’ve had personal engagement with a (potential) politician.’’
Karen Yang of North Parramatta was drawn to vote for Ms Darley after seeing the work she does for families through ParraParents.
“It was mainly because of her desire to improve the community areas and I think with a lot of families in this area, and young families, we could really benefit from more outdoor recreational facilities that are free, to get families out and about, and I think that’s a real bonus,’’ she said.
Ms Darley, a Rydalmere mother of two, said: “I think there’s a general frustration about the party politics at the local level and people just aren’t seeing action on the ground.’’
Sean, 26, of Parramatta gave his vote to Our Local Community candidate and Deputy Lord Mayor Michelle Garrard.
“Labor and Liberals have just been difficult in Parramatta lately so I challenge what’s been good for us.’’
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