by Cam Lucadou-Wells
How much do you need to spend to win a council election seat?
Casey independent candidate Jafri Katagara Luwanga has campaigned for 12 months in Kalora Ward, which includes parts of Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren North.
After spending about $15,000 on a campaign including full-gloss leaflets, he says he’s “broke”.
“People say they don’t want to see political parties in council. The problem with running as an independent is you need to spend a lot of money.
“I’m not running to be Prime Minister, just a councillor.”
Luwanga is one of nine candidates vying for Kalora Ward. He says some are ‘dummy’ candidates – a tactic used to harvest preferences for his rivals.
He says if he runs for council again, he’d seek endorsement – and resources – from a political party.
“The council election is for people with money. I don’t have a problem with political parties endorsing candidates because it helps people like me to run for council.”
Keysborough South Ward candidate Sasha Jankovic, who is a Labor member, says he estimates some candidates are spending well over $10,000.
He said he’s keeping costs down by doing his own letter box drops.
“I hope (campaign spending) isn’t an over-riding factor. I’m just focused on my own campaign.”
Daniel Dang, a Labor member running in Keysborough Ward, has not declared a budget for his self-funded campaign. He’s confined himself to letter-box drops, rather than corflute signs.
“You need a strong financial background in order to help the community. If you don’t have strong financials on a day-to-day level, how can you be a representative on the council?”
Angela Holl, an independent in Springvale North Ward, is self-funded. She’s accepting advice and non-financial support from family friend and outgoing deputy mayor Richard Lim.
“I think the costs are a little bit prohibitive. I think that’s why there’s less people running, especially with cost-of-living pressures.”
Across the wards, Labor-aligned candidates are boosted by preference deals between each other, she said.
Notably, there’s a majority of ALP members running against Green candidates Isabella Do and Rhonda Garad in Keysborough South and Cleeland wards.
Holl has taken issue with being eschewed by independent Huong Dinh, who is preferencing incumbent ALP-member councillor Sean O’Reilly.
Dinh is a volunteer at South Eastern Melbourne Vietnamese Associations Council (SEMVAC) and campaign-managed by SEMVAC president Kim Son Vu.
SEMVAC is also linked to Labor member candidates such as Alice Phuong Le (Springvale Central), Malab Hem (Springvale South) and Loi Truong (Springvale South).
“I was told she was preferencing the incumbent councillor because ‘Sean is a close friend of SEMVAC’,” Holl claims.
O’Reilly – who has publicly opposed dummy candidates – said he had no prior knowledge of Dinh’s nomination before it was listed on the VEC website.
“Based on my consistent record of supporting all multicultural communities, it makes sense that Huong Dinh would likely preference me.
“If she has, I commend Huong Dinh for preferencing based on merit and not based on a preference deal.”
Keysborough Ward independent Peter Brown was not troubled by the impact of Labor preference deals.
He said in postal ballot elections, voters were less swayed by candidate how-to-vote cards and tended to make up their own minds on preferences.
In a Star News survey, most candidates in Greater Dandenong and parts of Casey are coy on the amount that they are spending.
Some of the front-runners like Labor members Jim Memeti (Dandenong Ward) and Stefan Koomen (Waratah Ward) have set $5000 budgets for self-funded campaigns.
Greater Dandenong incumbent mayor Lana Formoso (Noble Park North Ward) and husband Daniel Formoso (Dandenong North Ward) have each set $2000 self-funded limits.
Independent candidate Ezatullah Alam (Waratah Ward) has declared $10,000 from his own pocket.
Meanwhile, Waratah independent Jamel Kaur Singh – who has been outspoken in the media after being targeted by racist slurs during the election – set a $1500 budget.
Most candidates have declared they are self-funded and not accepting donations – even those with political party affiliations.
However, Greens candidates Rhonda Garad (Cleeland Ward, $2500 budget) and Isabella Do (Keysborough South) are accepting community donations, as is Labor member Ezatullah Alam (Waratah Ward, $5000).
Independent Zabi Mazoori (Kalora Ward) has received individual donations ranging from $50 to $1000.
