By XAVIER SMERDON
NINE Wyndham Council candidates could face thousands of dollars in fines for failing to notify the State Government of donations they received during their election campaigns.
The candidates, all unsuccessful in their bids to get elected to council, have not submitted Campaign Donation Returns, prompting Minister for Local Government, Jeanette Powell, to state that they will be investigated and potentially prosecuted.
“It is an offence under the Local Government Act 1989 not to submit a campaign donation return and candidates who fail to comply with the law risk a $8,450 fine,” Mrs Powell said.
“The Local Government Act’s requirement that campaign donations of $500 or more be publicly disclosed is an important component of conflict of interest provisions that require an elected councillor to step aside from any decision of council that involves a person who made a contribution to their campaign.”
Throughout Melbourne 165 candidates failed to reveal what donations they received.
Nicholas Angelowitsch, Faye Lockwood Rourke, Kylie Cowie, Stephen Thurling, Elleni Bereded-Samuel, Leigh Ryan, Joh Bauch, Tarun Singh and Freshta Saweqa were the nine candidates that will be investigated, according to the State Government.
“The public expect and have the right to know if council candidates received gifts, donations
or in-kind assistance worth $500 or more from any individual, business or organisation,” Mrs Powell said.
“Candidates need to be aware that even if they have no campaign donations to declare they
are still legally required to submit a return to the council in which they stood.
“The names of council election candidates who have failed to provide a campaign donation return have been submitted to the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate for action.”
