Nationals' pool of talent for Clarence by-election

Seems the north-south battle lines in the Clarence by-election referred to previously will be preceded by a preliminary internal north-south bout in the National Party's camp.

Today's Daily Examiner reports that Karen Toms, a Clarence Valley councillor, has been encouraged by party members in the electorate's southern quarters to contest the election. Among Toms's supporters are former Grafton mayor and Nationals stalwart, Shirley Adams, and chair of the Grafton branch of The Nationals, Peter James. 

Karen Toms

James, a Grafton solicitor, features prominently in a piece in today's Sydney Morning Herald about the former, and now disgraced, member for Clarence Steve Cansdell being provided with heavily-discounted office space prior to the March election.

Results of the ReachTel polling conducting in Clarence yesterday can't come quick enough for some. However, Toms must be hoping she is more successful when she puts her own name forward than she was at the Clarence Valley Council's  mayoral elections held yesterday. Toms seconded nominations for Ian Tiley and Margaret McKenna in the ballots for mayor and deputy mayor, respectively. Both Tiley and McKenna were runners-ups in their ballots.

More details about the Clarence Valley Council's mayoral elections can be read in The Daily Examiner's report here. 

On a lighter side, according to The Examiner's report, "Tiley's bid for mayor was defeated five votes to four last night in a secret ballet [sic]." Ballet!

Photo credits: Clarence Valley Council and The Daily Examiner

A question in images - just who does this electorate staffer work for?

On 25 August 2011 the Federal Independent MP for Lyne Rob Oakeshott queried the employment status of the editor of Nationals supported The Port Paper citing this information:

On 26 August Clarrie Rivers did the same and posted this:

On the same day Federal Nats MP for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker went to the media with this statement:

Now I find that disgraced NSW Nat Steve Cansdell went public with his own claim on Facebook in March 2011:

Two of my hardworking staff, Deb & Sharon. Janet did the sensible thing and went home a tad earlier! Thanks guys, you've been a tremendous support.

How many times did this electorate staffer take annual leave or resign to end up being 'employed' by so many in the space of three months or is she just on permanent rotating loan within NSW North Coast National Party circles?

Who's having a lend of us then?

It wasn’t hard to come to the conclusion that the developer was testing the bounds of credulity in this matter given his reputed track record. But to find first that the Clarence Valley Council Acting-General Manager was coming over all coy on the subject and then that the newspaper developed diplomatic amnesia in the space of thirty days and forgot his name is unbelievable.

Guess we know which local identity won’t be backing Richie Williamson’s bid for the seat of Clarence if he stands at the 2011 by-election.

The Daily Examiner on 16th August 2011:

“DEVELOPMENT applications lodged at the Clarence Valley Council by Maclean developer Andrew Baker are set to come under the scrutiny of the government watchdog, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

Following a meeting last Monday between the council's acting general manager Mike Colreavy, Mayor Richie Williamson and Mr Baker, Mr Colreavy said he had referred some matters to ICAC.

Mr Baker told The Daily Examiner yesterday he had spent almost $1million ‘trying to sort out' development applications lodged during the past three years.

“I provided information to council on a number of issues with developments we have had with council over the past three years,” he said.

“We have had to put in close to a million dollars to either challenge or correct the issues that I highlighted to council.”

“I didn't ask for any reference to ICAC ... Mike Colreavy made that decision and he asked for me to agree or not.

“So council have referred this to the ICAC, not me.”……”

The Daily Examiner on 20th September 2011:

“THE Independent Commission Against Corruption will not pursue a complaint against Clarence Valley Council and Mayor Richie Williamson.’…

He did not identify the nature of the "external" complaint but said it was made in August and alleged "institutional corruption within council" and related to a number of planning transactions listed in a document sent to the mayor.

He said the complainant alleged the transactions involved "abuse of process", "contempt of court", "attempt to subvert", "exceeding authority", "sham requirement", "failure to implement council decision", and "failure to implement requirements of DCP" by council officers.

"I referred the complaint to the Independent  Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) after meeting with the complainant on August 8, together with the mayor," Mr Colreavy wrote.

"My referral to the ICAC sought its early advice as to what steps to take with the matter and what direct involvement the ICAC wished to have in it……”

What ICAC actually said:

“Given that the list of transactions of what (the complainant) believes show corrupt conduct are in most cases speculative and unsubstantiated, and noting your willingness to engage an independent planning expert to review each of the transactions (the complainant) has listed, the Commission has determined not to take any action.”

Why did Stuart George opt out as Casino's deputy mayor?

Will there be a north-south battle on the cards when Clarence electorate voters head to the polls later this year? Developments at local council mayoral elections today suggest one bloke (Richie Williamson) wants to add his mayoral position to his CV while elsewhere another possible contender (Stuart George) decided to put all his efforts into running for the local seat, rather than having to devote himself to the role of deputy mayor.

While Williamson won the ballot for mayor of Clarence Valley Council by 5 votes to 4 (the runner-up was Ian Tiley), George did not seek re-election as deputy mayor when Richmond Valley Council's leadership positions were contested today.
Read details of the ballots in The Daily Examiner and The Casino Times.

Nationals testing the waters in Clarence

ReachTel conducted a telephone poll this afternoon/evening in the electorate of Clarence.
 
Do you remember the name ReachTel? They're the mob The Port Paper (Port Macquarie) commissioned to conduct a poll in the Federal electorate of Lyne in August and then go to town on the local member, Rob Oakeshott.  
The Port Paper had a distinct smell about it and after completing a join-the-dots exercise it was not unreasonable to arrive at a conclusion that it looked very much like a front for the Nationals. The Port Paper has since folded, although its website euphemistically says it is "currently undergoing redevelopment".

Today's ReachTel polling in the electorate of Clarence was testing the waters in relation to a number of names.

Respondents were asked to provide their assessment of  a number of individuals.
1. Favourable
2. Neutral
3. Unfavourable
4. Unknown

Given that it was all about the by-election to be conducted in Clarence later this year, the list of names included a couple of red herrings.

The names provided (in order) were:

Steve Cansdell

Richie Williamson

Stuart George

Janelle Saffin

Kevin Hogan

Karen Toms

Next question: If a state election was held today, who would you vote for?

Nationals

Labor

Greens

Independent

Christian Democrats

Then, the $64 question: If you were forced to make a choice between the following candidates, who would you vote for?

1. Richie Williamson, Independent

or

2. A candidate from the Nationals

Read more about Stuart George, the son of Thomas George (Nationals MP for Lismore) here.

Stuart George

Locals come out to comment on Cansdellgate

The letters columns in today's Daily Examiner carries an assortment of views about the Cansdell scandal.

In the red corner:
Are we stupid?

How stupid do the political parties think people are?

Fact 1: Mr Cansdell lied to the police with the aid of a so-far-unknown accomplice.

Fact 2: For six years now he has lied to the people of his electorate and has now cost the state of NSW (which, according to the Coalition to which he belonged, is broke) a by-election.

Fact 3: He said he would step down as it was the honourable thing to do, but if he had stayed on as MP and been charged and convicted he ran the risk of losing his pension. Makes one think, doesn't it?

So far I have not heard him apologise to us mugs who elected him, only to his family, friends and party and to protest that he did not realise the seriousness of what he had done to avoid a speeding ticket.

This from a committed, get tough with them, crime fighter.

Now the sting in the tail. It would appear that the National Party is trying to court CVC Mayor Richie Williamson to stand as the National Party candidate for Clarence.

If Mr Williamson is successful it would relieve CVC of an incompetent councillor, a good outcome, but would impose the same ego-inspired incompetent on the Clarence electorate, a not-so-good outcome.

Paul MacDermott, Lawrence

More questions

Why should Steve Cansdell resign with full benefits instead of being sacked?

And you gave this matter a two-page spread and tried to make him sound like a hero ... oh from sexually abused victim to this ... he has fraudulently lied to cover his backside to keep his driver's licence and says "oh, sorry, I had a lapse in judgment".

I would also like to know who the staff member was who he obviously pressured into taking the blame for his law breaking. Speeding is against the law ... if you get caught then you should pay the price.

He is supposed to be a pillar of the community yet he couldn't keep a clean driving record.

How appalling.

I would love to start a petition to say that we, as taxpayers, are totally against this lawbreaking politician obtaining full benefits, ie. a pension, from our hard-earned money.

Michelle Walters, Junction Hill

The candidate

DEX intimates that Richie Williamson is talking with the Nationals regarding possible representation in the forthcoming by-election.

That would be about right. Williamson strikes me as a political prostitute who would sell himself to the highest bidder.

Thomas Macindoe, Yamba

In the blue corner:
Admiration

Steve Cansdell has shown that expediency cannot supplant probity and integrity. Congratulations to him, at such a personal cost. His decision evokes admiration and sympathy. When principle is involved, even compromise becomes capitulation under the instalment plan.

David Brown, Junction Hill

He will be missed

I wish to pay tribute to Steve Cansdell for his dedication to the people of the valley and beyond. He has been an excellent member, with an extremely balanced attitude towards all.

I have had the privilege of involvement with quite a few organisations and as such have had opportunities to see Steve Cansdell in action. I believe he has been an outstanding representative.

Some measure of his fair-minded approach to his responsibilities was at the recent opening of the Grafton U3A Men's Shed extensions and renovations for which he had obtained a grant under the Government Communities Building Partnership Program. He paid a generous tribute to the former government for promoting this very worthwhile fund.

The transgression leading to his resignation is one he will regret. It probably seemed a good idea at the time. No doubt, the manner of his going reflects credit on him. No ducking - rather a quick and decisive move.

He will be missed. However, we should hope that he will continue to serve our community. I for one would welcome that.

David Abrahams, Grafton

Whistleblower named and collateral damage widens in O'Farrell Government scandal

Sean Nicholls writing in The Sydney Morning Herald today:

THE disgraced state MP Steve Cansdell resigned from Parliament days after a former staff member complained to the corruption watchdog that he misused a parliamentary entitlement to help a Nationals colleague, Kevin Hogan, contest the federal seat of Page.
The staff member, Kath Palmer, was employed in the electorate office of Mr Cansdell's north coast seat of Clarence, the Herald has confirmed.
She was paid from a temporary staff entitlement MPs may use to hire an extra staff member to fill in when an electorate officer attends Parliament with them.
Ms Palmer told the Independent Commission Against Corruption she was improperly seconded to Mr Hogan's campaign during the federal election.
Last year ICAC found the former Labor MP Angela D'Amore misused the same entitlement.
Shortly before the state election in March, Mr Cansdell replaced Ms Palmer with Sharon Davidson, a staff member in the office of the federal Nationals MP for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker. Ms Davidson took leave to work on Mr Cansdell's campaign.
She is believed to have been hired to work as a media adviser after the announcement that the mayor of Clarence Valley Council, Richie Williamson, would challenge Mr Cansdell for the seat as an independent.
Ms Palmer also told the commission Mr Cansdell signed a false statutory declaration in 2005 to say she was driving his car when it was caught by a speed camera.
Mr Cansdell, who was the parliamentary secretary for police, has admitted he falsified the document because he faced losing his licence. He cited it as the reason for his resignation.
The Nationals leader and Deputy Premier, Andrew Stoner, said Mr Cansdell told him before he quit that he did not believe the claims he had misused parliamentary resources were correct.
Mr Hogan, who lost the seat to Labor's Janelle Saffin, yesterday confirmed Ms Palmer worked as a volunteer on his campaign.
Mr Cansdell told the Herald: ''There's no vindictiveness or anger from me about what this lady has done. She's got her reasons and we'll go from there.''
The state director of the Nationals, Ben Franklin, said neither he nor the party was aware of the allegations of the misuse of parliamentary entitlements.......

The unanswered question here is the part the whistleblower's friendship group played in her brave decision to come forward. Is it just a co-incidence that the Williamson family features in her listed online Facebook friends and she in theirs - or is that too cynical a thought as Richie prepares to step into Cansdell's shoes?

UPDATE:

In her own words in The Daily Examiner on 20 September 2011....

Mrs Palmer told The Examiner last night about how she was pressured into taking the blame for the former MP's speeding fine in 2005 in order for him to retain his licence.
"I'd been there a year ... I was the lowest of the low and I was being bullied by (another member of Cansdell's staff) - I wanted to get favour in the office," she said.
"I loved the job but when the boss looks at you ... I did what I was told."
She said Mr Cansdell had panicked when he got the fine and wanted to go into the ensuing election with a clean slate.
"These claims by Steve that he didn't know the gravity of his actions are just bull****."
Responding to reports in the media that Mr Cansdell had been reported to authorities by a "disgruntled ex-employee", Mrs Palmer said this was not the case.
She worked one day a week as a "permanent relief officer" and was called in for other days as needed. She said she last worked in Mr Cansdell's office on December 23 before she took two weeks' holiday.
She said Mr Cansdell's office had been "restructured" after Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson declared he would run as a candidate and she was aware she might not get any more paid work until after the March election.
Mrs Palmer said the office had made "a couple of calls" asking her to volunteer in the campaign office in the lead-up to the March election but she had been busy with either RFS duties or personal matters.
She said she was shocked to find out in late May from a fellow RFS volunteer that Mr Cansdell had described her as an ex-employee at an RFS gathering in Homebush.
"I was asked by another RFS volunteer if I knew that I was an ex-employee and I said 'no'," she said.
Ms Palmer said at an RFS function at Ulmarra in the following weeks she discreetly asked Mr Cansdell about why she hadn't been called back to work.
"He said I hadn't helped out in the campaign."
Mrs Palmer, who is the captain of Clarence Valley RFS's catering unit, said she was concerned she was being painted in a bad light by Mr Cansdell's office.
Asked if she was concerned about being charged with an offence, Mrs Palmer said she would bear the consequences of her actions but was confident that any reasonable person would see that she had been pressured into making the false statutory declaration.
"I feel numb," she said.
"It's always been on my mind about what I'd done in that office and I just had to clear my conscience and that's all there is to it."
Though Mrs Palmer would not disclose which authority she reported Mr Cansdell's offence to, it is understood to be the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Mrs Palmer said she knew other matters, including those relating to Mr Cansdell's staff entitlements, were being looking into by authorities and other media.
She said Mr Cansdell had instructed a third party to contact her on Thursday night to ask if she had reported him to the ICAC, to which she responded that she'd prefer to speak to Mr Cansdell himself.
Mrs Palmer said she still hadn't received the apology Mr Cansdell spoke of in Friday's media conference. The Daily Examiner left a message on Mr Cansdell's voicemail late last night but received no reply.

Some online responses to NSW Nats Steve Cansdell's announcement that he had given false evidence in a stat dec

A brief selection taken from the comments sections of online newspaper articles, blog posts/comments and Twitter:

He said 'he might have been able to ride out the political storm, but did not it would have been honourable to do so.' Honourable??? After lies and deceit?
And still gets to keep a parliamentary pension. Should hang his head in shame.

this also must cast questions and that the mayor was telling the truth about being offered the nationals pre-selection.

Bloody depressing this - I can't see any question but he had to go - not "tough it out", God almighty!

I'm sure he would have never owned up to it, unless someone had him by the nuts.

So much for Mr law and order. Do as I say not as I do!

What a waste. I hope he makes a comeback in public life, as he has a lot to contribute.

What a waste of a great opportunity for our valley.
Yes he has let us down. So sad for us. I feel betrayed

I have no sympathy and I don't think we need a "comeback" thanks. That aside, I wish him well.

It beggars belief that this guy was an MP. He had not "recognised the gravity of the offence." I am not sure what is worse, deliberately lying on a stat dec or not understanding that this isn't merely an error of judgement- it is a criminal offence. My sympathies to Clarence voters for having either an idiot or a criminal for a member of parliament.

After banging on about law and order for years this man should be ashamed. And to keep his very lucrative parliamentary pension is truly disgusting.

Deputy Premier, Mr Stoner said Cansdell had informed him today of TWO allegations levelled against him.

So why aren't the allegations over misuse of staff allowances being explained?

Never liked him - never voted for him - glad to see the back of him.

There's sure to be more to come on this. Stay tuned.

which staff member took the blame ? more importantly why? What persuasion or influence was used? what are the consequences for h now?

Anyone remember that letter to the editor questioning the legitimacy of Cansdell's last taxpayer-funded study tour overseas? Hhmmmmm....

'I don't think it would have been honourable to ride it out.'
What a crock of poo! By resigning before any charges are laid he manages to retain a parliamentary pension of more than $80,000 a year.

They reckon he might have resigned before being publicly discovered to save his $80,000 or so per annum pension; reported himself to police to get a 25% discount on any sentence he might possibly receive if the matter of falsifying a stat dec ever went to court; announced both actions on a Friday to limit the amount of immediate media coverage in the hope of taking some of the heat out of the disclosure

Didn't Cansdell (who was made parliamentary secretary to the NSW Police Minister) get well over 62% of first preference votes in the Clarence electorate at the recent 2011 NSW election? The man just threw away a seat for life. :-0

A lying NSW Liberal Party Member of Parliament facing gaol. Will George Brandis help the NSW Police this time?

Steve Cansdell should have the same fate as did Marcus Einfeld, maybe reopen Kirkconnell to house him??

re: Cansdell. I usually vote Lib, but wait w/ baited breath 2 c if BOF demands own resignation after 3 MPs SNAFU in 1 year

Rumour Cansdell resigned as 3rd party who stated 'she' was driving car was about to tell all and then more.

The media seem to be treating this offence as a mere peccadillo, but had Cansdell been a labor MP I'm sure it would be a cause of great concern or, more likely, even hysteria and panic.

Steve Cansdell is out. Who is next?

nobody adds 1+1 and suggests that the former staffer whom the newspapers say was going to report the matter is the same staffer who lied for him in 2005 and the very same who is alleging that he abused his parliamentary allowance/s.

Life's journey - an alternating joy and a bitch

 

This brief observation on life with early onset senile dementia can only be viewed as a link, but it’s well worth the mouse click:

http://open.abc.net.au/collections/1-year-in-01yr0in#/items/23zb3zx

 

A preview of a letter to the editor in The Daily Examiner

Will the notorious right winger who regularly rabbits on in the letters column of The Daily Examiner save himself a bit of time and effort and use the letter that appeared above his name in today's paper as a template for his next contribution?
Today the cereal serial letters writer had free shots at a Minister in the Gillard government, so if he's fair dinkum and even-handed tomorrow's edition will carry another effort from him with paragraphs that begin as shown below. All he has to do is insert the name of his hero, the now disgraced former Member for Clarence.

Admission: The cereal / serial error was due to this writer thinking about fruit loops at the time.