Onkaparinga email blunder sparks Lucas call for mayor probe

A senior council manager’s email appearing to offer to aid a Labor mayor’s election bid has sparked a political row after it was accidentally sent to a Liberal rival.

A senior Onkaparinga Council manager tried to help Mayor Erin Thompson in her Labor Party-candidate state election bid, but the aid offer went wrong when he accidentally emailed her Liberal MP opponent instead.

Davenport MP Steve Murray was surprised when on December 16 he received an email from the council with an attached council aerial photograph of the Happy Valley area marked with a proposed walking trail.

The email was an offer to direct council resources to help Ms Thompson ahead of a Labor policy announcement two weeks later.

It stated: “Hi Erin. We only have the attached at present. If you need something different we can see what we can pull together tomorrow”.

Onkaparinga Mayor and Labor state election candidate Erin Thompson. Picture Dean Martin

A screenshot of the email chain.

The email was quickly followed by a second to the address of Mr Murray, [e-mail], seeking to hide council branding if the map was used by the Labor Party.

It stated: “Hi Erin, this one might look better. May need to chop the top right depending how it’s used.”

Treasurer Rob Lucas said the council must launch an independent investigation into Ms Thompson.

“The inquiry must investigate to what extent Ms Thompson is using and accessing council staff and resources to assist her in her campaign as a Labor candidate,’’ he said.

Ms Thompson hit back, saying: “This is just Rob Lucas being Rob Lucas.

“He is well known for these sorts of tactics. There is no basis for his claims and I take the separation between my roles as mayor and candidate seriously.”

Treasurer Rob Lucas. Picture: Brenton Edwards

A map showing the proposed additional walking track linking two existing tracks to complete the Minkarra Park trail. Picture: Supplied.

A council spokesman defended the council offer of help – which it said had been requested by Ms Thompson as a Labor candidate, not in her mayoral role.

“The request came from the candidate for Davenport, not from the mayor, and is consistent with other political candidates’ requests for technical and factual information,’’ the spokesman said.

When the manager realised his mistake, he sent more emails, again from his council address, asking six times if one of the emails could be “recalled”. One of the messages was marked: “Retention policy. Never delete, never”.

The Onkaparinga walking track map became the basis for Labor’s map released to the media, showing the same route.

The manager declined to comment on his emails, but the council defended his work.

The council spokesman said Ms Thompson’s request related to a council “advocacy plan” designed to elicit funding from major parties before the March state election.

“This information would be provided to the Member for Davenport if requested,’’ the spokesman said.

Originally published as Onkaparinga email blunder sparks Lucas call for mayor probe