Cansdell continues to haunt the NSW parliament

According to Hansard former and disgraced Member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell, was in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday 13 March 2012 a bit after 3.30pm and voted with the government on its Education Reform motion That this House supports the Government in delivering on its election commitment to give decision-making power back to local schools and school communities.

How very convenient  it must be for the newly elected Member for Clarence, Christopher Gulaptis, to be able to sneak out of the house when a division is called and know his good old best mate Steve is ever ready to stand in for him.

Former Member for Clarence, Steve What's-his-name, gets an unfavourable mention in Hansard

On 22 February the former MP for Clarence, Steve 'Stat Dec' Cansdell received a mention in the Legislative Assembly but it was not one that he is expected to obtain a copy of and paste in his scrap book.

Craig Baumann, the member for Port Stephens (he's a member of the Liberal Party) remarked to the current MP for Clarence, Christopher Gulaptis:

As one who sat next to Steve in this place for four years, I think Steve held the record for being late for question time. I think you, Mr Assistant-Speaker, would agree.

Source: Hansard, NSW Legislative Assembly, 22/2/12

Cansdellgate isn't going away

Yet another Clarence valley resident has commented on the scandalous matters associated with disgraced former Member for Clarence Steve Cansdell.

Hard to digest

It is not only Labor hackles which have been raised (''Dinner for disgraced MP raises Labor hackles'', January 22). There are a lot of people in the Clarence electorate including myself who feel disgusted with this whole affair. NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell was quick to pick up the phone to the Police Minister, who then contacted the police chief when the Craig Thomson affair surfaced. However, nothing has occurred in respect to the Steve Cansdell affair. Come on O'Farrell, pick up the phone.

Lyne Dobson, Waterview Heights

Source: The Sun Herald, 29/1/12

Member for Clarence's website: an update

The lads at the local watering hole have started a tipping competition involving three local event. All that's required to enter their competition is to provide the dates when the following three events will occur.

1. Completion of the dual carriageway for the Pacific Highway,

2. The Member for Clarence, "Steve" Gulaptis' webpage is finished (a copy of it as it currently appears is shown below), and

3. The former and disgraced Member for Clarence appears in court in relation to his falsification of THAT statutory declaration.

Member for Clarence: take your pick, 'Steve' Gulaptis or 'Chris' Cansdell

It seems there's a good deal of confusion in the electorate of Clarence as to who the current Local Member is and who might be pulling the Member's strings.

A couple of wags at the local watering hole reckon the surnames Cansdell and Gulaptis along with the given names Steve and Chris have become interchangeable. So much so, says my mate Robbo, that on any given day the local MP might be Chris or Steve. Robbo reckons that's going to come in real handy for the MP over the festival season - the MP can be in two places at once, party-partying (ho ho style) and driving along the Pacific Highway looking for speed cameras.

Click on the image below to reveal how some in the electorate see their local MP.

'Steve' Gulaptis, please stand up

Confused constituents in the electorate of Clarence continue to ask: Who is the local MP? Is it Chris or is Steve still somewhere on the scene?

Questions for Steve Cansdell about political greed

Those who thought Cansdellgate would quietly disappear after the recent by-election in Clarence need to think again. 

Questions about when police will charge disgraced former MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell for telling whoppers in a statutory declaration remain unanswered.

Now, a Grafton resident, via the letters columns of The Daily Examiner, seeks answers about the cost of the by-election.

Political greed

I would like to know how much the by-election has cost the taxpayer?

And why shouldn't the person causing the by-election foot the cost of it?

After all, he has allegedly broken the law and not for any other reason but to save his political hide.

There are genuine reasons why by-elections occur and that should be exempt.

But this (by-election) was caused by reasons other than that.

This (by-election) was caused by political ambition and greed, and we as taxpayers have to foot the cost.

I ask again - how much did this by-election cost?

And is there some way of finding out?

Jeffrey Fuller, Grafton

Sources:         Letters, The Daily Examiner, 28/11/11

Image, The Northern Star