by Sahar Foladi and Cam Lucadou-Wells
Former Greater Dandenong councillor Maria Sampey has entered the election feud between two sitting councillors, putting her name to controversial mailouts to voters.
Sampey seems to have sided with Dandenong North Ward independent Cr Bob Milkovic, with one of her mailouts targeting Milkovic rival and sitting mayor Lana Formoso in Noble Park North Ward
A councillor for 21 years and one-time mayor, Sampey has also endorsed Milkovic and criticised three of his Labor-leaning rivals in another mailout.
Despite being a former ALP member, Sampey said she didn’t care whether the conservative Milkovic was a “Liberal or not”.
“Bob does the work, he works hard but he’s getting targeted by the Labor party.”
This election, the Milkovic and Formoso camps seem to be squaring off in neighbouring wards – with Formoso’s husband Daniel standing in Milkovic’s ward and Milkovic’s real-estate colleague Love Agravante in Formoso’s ward.
Outgoing councillor Tim Dark, who is Milkovic’s friend, has confirmed he is also involved in the letters.
He told Star Journal that he’d run through the copy with the AI writing software ChatGPT.
The letters have been authorised with Dark’s work PO Box address – due to Sampey no longer living in Greater Dandenong, he said.
Though otherwise saying he was happily retired from council, Dark said he naturally supported Milkovic.
There was “definitely need for change” in mayor Formoso’s “neglected” Noble Park North, he said.
However, candidates caught in the crossfire have labelled the mailouts with the letterhead ‘Former councillor Maria Sampey’ as “dirty” politics.
The Dandenong North mailout claimed Rhonda Tannous didn’t live in Greater Dandenong and was “running for political reasons” as a “factional pick” of the ALP.
Daniel Formoso and Branka Tomic were called “dummy candidates” used “to purely send preferences to Rhonda” – though Sampey told Star Journal that she believed Daniel Formoso may be the lead candidate.
Tomic says the letter has ruined her chances of winning the election.
She said she would like to take legal action against Sampey but says she can’t afford the legal costs – referring to incumbent councillor Angela Long’s $9000 legal battle for an intervention order against Sampey last year.
“It’s dirty business – why does she have to do this? What benefit is there to her?” Tomic said.
“If someone supports me financially, I would love to take action because I’ve never done this before.”
Sampey’s endorsement of Bob Milkovic leads Tomic to believe someone else has written the letter.
“She has no link to Bob, I was shocked. She doesn’t even live in Greater Dandenong,” Tomic says.
Tannous says the letter was “personal” and “dirty politics”.
“To be honest I don’t know why she has done this. I respected her and her past positions.
“If you’re going to say something, at least say something that is 100 per cent correct.”
She questioned how Daniel Formoso and Tomic could be called ‘dummies’ when they had paid for election campaign leaflets.
“Branka is an elderly lady, Daniel knows a lot of people and is a family man. Elections will come and go but the people will remain. People tend to forget respect.
“The letter was sent out to affect me and increase the chance of Bob to win. I was never raised like that.
“My work is to work for the community not to target people – a mother, wife and a woman.”
Tannous owns a Lebanese bakery at the Dandenong Market and is said to live in Narre Warren North in the letter.
She told Star Journal that where she “sleeps, eats, rests” shouldn’t be anyone’s business.
“Residents can reach out to me, call me and see me. Where I live in no way would limit my role as a potential councillor for the Dandenong North ward.”
Tannous says she visited an aged care home in the ward to see how she can help the elderly if elected, only to be texted “Maria Sampey advised me of the real reason you are involved, please don’t contact me again”.
She says she was born in Dandenong, grew up, attended school and has worked there for the majority of her life.
Her children attend school in the municipality, while she notes Sampey no longer lives in Greater Dandenong.
Both Tomic and Tannous have spoken about preferences with Daniel Formoso but that’s not unusual for candidates, they say.
“We spoke with each other. But couldn’t get hold of (candidate) Rosana (Ierone) – there’s no details of her on the VEC website.”
When told of the legal threats, Sampey told Star Journal: “Let them!”
Sampey was defeated by ALP member Formoso in Noble Park North Ward in the 2020 election, which included an extraordinary pro-Formoso leaflet campaign from Silverton Cricket Club.
This election, Sampey says she wanted to “set the record straight” in her mailout attacking Formoso over rate rises and taking credit for projects that Sampey started as well as travel expenses in her mayoral year.
Formoso has said that her expenses were higher due to attending extra events and training as mayor.
Milkovic and Formoso were contacted for comment.
