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Leaked email reveals Labor’s influence on council elections

A leaked email from a senior Labor Party member has revealed political influence on Labor-aligned candidates at the upcoming council elections in Greater Dandenong. SEE THE FULL LIST OF ALP CANDIDATES

A leaked email from Labor’s state secretary telling council candidates to only preference other ALP members has been slammed by Ratepayers Victoria. Picture: AAP/ Chris Eastman
A leaked email from Labor’s state secretary telling council candidates to only preference other ALP members has been slammed by Ratepayers Victoria. Picture: AAP/ Chris Eastman

A leaked email from Labor’s state secretary telling council candidates to only preference other ALP members has been slammed by Ratepayers Victoria.

The Leader can reveal a leaked email from Labor’s state secretary Chris Ford listing voting instructions for the 28 Labor-endorsed candidates running for this year’s Greater Dandenong Council elections.

In the email, Mr Ford said: “Any party member standing for election to a municipal vacancy shall be required to direct preferences to any other party member standing for the same vacancy before any other candidate.”

Out of the 28 candidates listed in the email, only four have stated on the Victorian Electoral Commission website they are a member of the Labor Party.

Other candidates aligned with political parties also fail to list their involvement.

Ratepayers Victoria President Dean Hurlston said the behaviour was “incredibly disappointing”.

“For the Labor Party in this case, to be directing their ‘allegedly independent’ candidates to only support other Labor Party members on their how to vote cards is everything that is wrong with the over politicisation of local government,” Mr Hurlston said.

“It’s time the Andrews Government made it compulsory that council candidates must disclose any political party affiliation or memberships or be stripped of the right to run and deceive voters.”

He said most of the community didn’t support party politics in local government.

“Voters deserve the truth from all candidates. It’s time that parties front up and declare their interests and candidates are held to public account,’’ Mr Hurlston said

“Voters deserve elections based on merit and local issues.”

A Labor spokesman said the party encouraged all members to acknowledge their membership to ensure transparency in their communications with the community during election time.

“We also direct all members to comply with the VEC regulations on what must be disclosed in their candidate statements,” the spokesman said.

He said the ALP pledge included a direction for members to support fellow members in public office, because of the party’s shared values of opportunity, fairness and workers’ rights.

“Voters are of course free to choose their own voter preference and our members’ how-to-vote cards are recommendations only, as is the case with all how-to-vote cards at every election.”

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FULL LIST OF GREATER DANDENONG LABOR-ENDORSED CANDIDATES

Reza Andesha: Cleeland Ward

Angela Long: Cleeland Ward

Lidia Paul: Cleeland Ward

Hayat Rahimi: Cleeland Ward*

Zaynoun Melhem: Dandenong North Ward

Jim Memeti: Dandenong Ward

Ramy El-Sukkari: Keysborough South Ward

Jessica Halliday: Keysborough South Ward

Gam Le: Kesyborough South Ward

Sam Afra: Keysborough Ward*

Phillip Danh: Keysborough Ward

Reinaldo Pincheira: Keysborough Ward

Nizar Ashkar: Noble Park North Ward

Lana Formoso: Noble Park North Ward

Pradeep Hewavitharana: Noble Park North Ward

Maria Sampey: Noble Park North Ward

Sophie Tan: Noble Park Ward

Sue Walton: Noble Park Ward

Richard Lim: Springvale Central Ward

Minh Van Tranh: Springvale Central Ward

Ricardo Buensuceso: Springvale North Ward

Sean O’Reilly: Springvale North Ward

Loi Truong: Springvale South Ward

Thay Horn Yim: Springvale South Ward*

Cam Dang: Yarraman Ward

Eden Foster: Yarraman Ward*

Ravi Shankar: Yarraman Ward

Ahmed Shukri: Yarraman Ward

*Has disclosed ALP membership on VEC

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/leaked-email-reveals-labors-influence-on-council-elections/news-story/bd39a0c8b4ef8356153113864924b930