THE findings of a Municipal Association of Victoria facilitated councillor conduct panel hearing into the conduct of two Frankston councillors at a property development campaign launch have been partially released by Frankston Council. Councillors at last week’s council meeting voted to make the panel report findings public but some names are redacted in the version available to read on Frankston Council’s website. As first reported in The Times (‘Councillor breached code’, 20/6/16) the panel found an “angry” Cr Colin Hampton breached Local Government Act conduct clauses by acting in an “inappropriate” way when speaking to two council staff members at…
Author: Neil Walker
A MARATHON eight-week election campaign has led to the narrowest of margins in the seat of Dunkley despite the Liberal Party declaring victory on election night. Liberal candidate for Dunkley Chris Crewther was jubilant on Saturday evening when addressing supporters at an election function at the Frankston Dolphins Junior Football Club. He said “a team effort” had got him over the line, after the departure of retiring Liberal MP Bruce Billson, against a challenge from Labor candidate Peta Murphy. Mr Crewther’s confidence in declaring a win seemed well-placed at the time with election night pundits on TV calling the seat…
THE father-in-law of outgoing Dunkley Liberal MP Bruce Billson has had complaints to the Australian Electoral Commission about alleged “misleading” union and Labor Party flyers handed out at polling booths dismissed by the independent electoral regulator. Arthur Ranken, the father of Mr Billson’s wife Kate, wrote to the AEC on 22 June demanding “election material” including posters and flyers urging voters to “put the Liberals last” and “vote to save Medicare” be immediately removed from Dunkley polling booths ahead of the 2 July federal election. Mr Ranken did not disclose his Liberal Party membership or former official party office bearing roles when…
STATE political issues in Isaacs have dominated the lead up to this weekend’s federal election with Labor MP Mark Dreyfus hoping to see off a second challenge from Liberal hopeful Garry Spencer. Cash has been splashed by both major political parties with sports clubs and community groups set to benefit but the spectre of sky rail has loomed large in Kingston. Mr Dreyfus saw his margin cut from 10.4 per cent to 3.9 per cent at the 2013 federal election but he showed no signs of concern about his electoral chances on 2 July when The News visited his office…
WHOEVER loses, Dunkley wins. That’s the state of play for the electorate as the federal election campaign heads into its final week before polling day on 2 July. The party that wins government on 2 July will be obliged to see through its extensive funding promises for Dunkley even if its candidate does not win the seat. Both major parties have made pledges worth tens of millions of dollars to sporting clubs, schools and community groups in the marginal seat held by the Liberal Party by 5.5 per cent at the 2013 election. Former small business minister Bruce Billson’s retirement…