Libs deny plot

By Shaun Inguanzo
A KNOX councillor fears that leaders of a ratepayers coalition are masking a political agenda in the lead up to November’s council election.
The Knox Reform Coalition (KRC), a partnership between the Knox Ratepayers Association (KRA) and Knox Action, is endorsing a candidate for each ward to remove incumbent councillors after a history of rate increases.
But Dobson Ward councillor Karin Orpen last week alleged that KRA president Peter Baird and KRC chairman Richard Thomas were using Knox residents ‘in a game of political football’.
Cr Orpen said she believed Mr Thomas and Mr Baird, who are Liberal Party members, were selecting candidates in an attempt to install a pro Liberal Party council to aid the party in forthcoming State and Federal elections.
Cr Orpen said local government was not a place for party politics.
“Whilst it could be considered flattering that a whole political party is required to knockoff the local councillor, I find it disgusting that the residents of this city, and in particular Dobson Ward, are being used in the lead up to the State elections,” she said.
“Your local council is required to advocate for its community to other levels of government without fear of favour regardless of who holds power at State or Federal level.”
Cr Orpen said it was hypocrisy that the pair has stopped criticising Friberg Ward councillor and state Liberal Party candidate for Ferntree Gully Nick Wakeling when council records show Cr Wakeling supported rate increases for the 2003/04 and 2004/05 budgets.
“On one hand they say don’t reelect the current councillors because of rates, and on the other they covertly endorse and support Cr Wakeling as the Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Ferntree Gully at the next State elections,” she said.
KRC chairman Richard Thomas dismissed Cr Orpen’s claims and said they were ‘absolute nonsense’ and offensive.
“Cr Orpen’s statement is riddled with inaccuracies and has no foundation in truth,” he said.
“She says that the focus of our campaign is to install a friendly council before the next State and Federal elections.
“Neither the Liberal Party or any other party has any influence or role in our campaign.”
Mr Thomas and Mr Baird said they would sign a Statutory Declaration that they had not received support or money from any political party.
“Cr Orpen alleges that Mr Thomas and I consider ourselves movers and shakers in the local Liberal Party,” Mr Baird said.
“Neither of us are office bearers in the party.
“The party has no role in our group and is not providing one cent of financial support.”