Campaign funding questioned Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au LABOR has refused to confirm whether electorate officers were seconded to work on election campaigns in Frankston, Carrum and Mordialloc before the state election last year amid allegations taxpayers’ money was misused to pay for election campaigning. Three unnamed Victorian Labor MPs and a party official told the Herald Sun last week they feared parliamentary rules banning the use of electorate office funds for political campaigning had been broken. The Labor insiders said electorate staff had allegedly been “pooled” from Labor Upper House MPs electorate staff to work on the party’s Community Action Network field campaign aimed at winning government. Labor media adviser Kosta Pandos asked for a statement to be attributed to a government spokesperson when contacted by The Times about the allegations. “These allegations are desperate and untrue. All activity undertaken by electorate officers, and Victorian Labor pool staff, was in keeping with parliamentary rules,” the statement read. “Pool staff arrangements have been in place in the Victorian Parliament for almost 20 years and have been overseen by presiding officers from both sides of politics. “Pooling resources is an efficient way for political parties to support
MPs and conduct parliamentary party business.” Repeated requests to confirm whether electorate officers campaigned in Frankston, Carrum or Mordialloc went unanswered. Labor’s election campaign also included help from unpaid volunteers and union members. Labor’s “boots on the ground” approach to electioneering in the lead up to November’s state election has been credited by Premier Daniel Andrews as a key factor in the party’s victories in marginal seats. The so-called sand belt seats of Frankston, Carrum and Mordialloc are pivotal to both Labor and the Liberal Party’s chances of forming government. All three electorates swung to Labor last November with Paul Edbrooke, Sonya Kilkenny and Tim Richardson winning the seats from Liberal incumbents to contribute to a total of 48 seats won across the state against the Liberal National Coalition’s 38 seats. Sean Armistead, the Liberal candidate for Frankston at last year’s state election, said the allegations made from within the Labor Party are troubling especially since in Frankston’s case “all you needed was about 170 votes to change hands” to win the seat. “To think that there’s potentially been a misuse of taxpayer dollars to help the Labor campaigns causes serious questions to be asked and it has to be investigated,” he said. Former Carrum Liberal MP Donna Bauer said “numerous people” had expressed concerns about the possible
Many happy returns DETECTIVES from Hastings and Frankston combined on Monday last week to raid a Clyde property and recover an extensive collection of stolen property. Detective Sergeant Mel Nixon, of Hastings CIU, said items found in a shipping container in the early-morning raid included a “tinnie” with outboard motor, six trailers, excavator, tractor, 7gm of the drug ice, radio jamming device, five Pee Wee motor cycles, numerous power tools and a rifle. A 55-year-old man has been charged with trafficking ice, possessing ice, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, handling stolen goods and possessing the proceeds of crime. He has been remanded to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on 15 September. “We have been able to reunite many of the items with their owners,” Detective Nixon said. “They are pretty happy.”
Driver bashed Frankston candidates: Liberal candidate Sean Armistead, left, lost out by a narrow margin to Labor MP Paul Edbrooke at last November’s state election.
misuse of taxpayer funds. “It is well known that the Carrum electorate was a key focal point for that Community Action Network campaign and that large numbers of its campaigners were very active in the electorate throughout 2014 and on election day,” she said. “Carrum constituents are understandably keen to know whether the ALP misused any taxpayer resources during the campaign for the seat of Carrum. “They are worried that voters in Carrum may have been deceived by
what was portrayed as a community campaign but may in fact have been a professional campaign, resourced using illicitly obtained taxpayer funds. I believe they are entitled to know the truth.” The Victorian Parliament’s Legislative Council will investigate the allegations about the misuse of paid electorate officers and decide whether an in-depth inquiry is needed. Mr Armistead said any wider investigation will not change the outcome of the Frankston election but “it’s about making sure it doesn’t happen again”.
A TAXI driver was bashed after dropping off two men at the derelict former Ambassador Hotel, Nepean Hwy, 9.45pm, Monday 17 August. Detective Senior Constable Paul Roberts, of Frankston CIU, said the 27-year-old driver picked up the men at Dandenong South and dropped them behind the complex. The men, described as being in their 20s, refused to pay. When his back was turned one of the men punched him to the head, and then both punched and kicked him as he lay on the ground. Detective Roberts said the men snatched the driver’s iPhone and stole money. The taxi driver suffered swelling and bruising to his face and body. Witnesses should call Detective Roberts on 9784 5555.
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Frankston Times 14 September 2015
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