Old Xaverians Football Club caught up in Stonnington Council election voting scandal
A private Melbourne school football club has been caught up in a council election campaigning scandal after it sent out an email with voting advice which candidates felt was misleading. Here’s what went down.
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A football club at an elite Melbourne private school has been caught up in a suspected attempt to influence voters with “misleading” content for a council election outside of its local area.
And Stonnington’s ratepayers group has claimed the email was the work of incumbent councillors’ desperate bid to hold on to their jobs.
Kew’s Old Xaverians Football Club, based in Boroondara, has apologised and retracted an email containing inaccurate information on candidates for the Stonnington Council elections.
The email, sent to club supporters on October 8, encouraged registered voters to preference a block group of current councillors – Mayor Steve Stefanopoulos, Matthew Kose, Melina Sehr and Jami Klisaris.
The four councillors support the contentious Percy Treyvaud Stadium development in Malvern East.
The email also suggested the three other sitting councillors against the plans – Judy Hindle, Sally Davis and Marcia Griffin – be ranked last.
The redevelopment of Percy Treyvaud Memorial Park, which includes the new $26.7 million indoor stadium, has been controversial, with the council threatening some of its own ratepayers with a $230,000 legal bill if they don’t walk away from a Supreme Court challenge impacting their homes.
The club stated the stadium was crucial for the future of the Prahran Netball Association, of which it is a member.
It also feared the outcome of the election could put plans to refurbish its home ground at Toorak Park in Armadale at risk.
“Normally, we avoid politics, but given the possible ramifications of this council election to our club’s future, you should know that there are a large number of candidates seeking election who have an agenda that is contrary to our best interests,” the email read.
“They are against investment in sports and sports facilities.
“We believe that their election to council will place the intended development of Toorak Park and precinct in grave jeopardy.”
Ratepayers Stonnington president Dean Hurlston said more than 10 candidates contacted the group concerned about the “misleading” email which could cause them to lose votes.
Mr Hurston claimed similar emails and advice could also have been sent out by two other Stonnington sporting groups.
“It is not the responsibility of sporting clubs to be interfering with electoral processes,” he said.
“I fully support Xavier’s retraction, however I call on other supporting clubs to also retract their information and avoid any complaints of serious electoral misconduct.”
Old Xaverians’ president Matt Cosgrave told the Leader the club was “supportive of anyone who would be supportive of growing local sport”.
In a follow-up email sent on Monday, October 12, he said the club had “no intent to mislead our supporters in any way over stances held by the various candidates”.
“Information was provided to us by others about various candidates and, unfortunately, we passed it on believing it to be correct,” he wrote.
“We apologise unreservedly to the candidates whom we have misrepresented and also to our support base for our error.”
The council’s chief executive Jacqui Weatherill said it had no comment on individuals’ or community organisations’ policy positions.
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