Meet the Hawkesbury candidates

The forum will give candidates for the upcoming Hawkesbury City Council elections an opportunity to speak, for an allotted time, on issues and policies they are campaigning for.

The night, which is open to the community, will commence with the speakers’ draw, followed by the speakers’ addresses.

Then the audience will be given the opportunity to ask the candidates questions in an extended Question and Answer session from the floor.

Come along at 6pm for a prompt 6.30pm start. Tea and coffee will be provided.

n For catering purposes, RSVP the chamber on

4578 7878 or email membership@hawkesbury

chamber.com.au

Some fresh faces for Hawkesbury

A TOTAL of 62 candidates have nominated to stand for Hawkesbury City Council, seven less than in the previous 2008 local government election.

The battle of the ballot box is set down for September 8, with the top three positions taken out by incumbent councillors.

Independent councillor Christine Paine drew poll position for her group at last Wednesday’s ballot draw, number two spot was secured by Independent councillor Bob Porter, the third by Warwick Mackay, whose group is the only one not to have nominated a political affiliation.

A group’s position on the ballot paper is said to make a difference because Group A, for example, will be on the extreme left of the ballot paper.

Nine current Hawkesbury City councillors are standing for re-election. Apart from councillors Paine, Porter and Mackay, there is Leigh Williams (Greens); Paul Rasmus-sen (Indep.); and Barry Calvert (Labor); with councillors Kim Ford (Liberal), Tiffany Tree (Liberal) and Jill Reardon (Liberal) standing on the same Liberal ticket, as first, second and fourth respectively.

A former councillor, Trevor Devine (Indep.) is also running as second on Bob Porter’s (Indep.) ticket, while Patrick Conolly, son of Riverstone MP, Cr Kevin Conolly, is listed fifth on Kim Ford’s Group I Liberal ticket.

A number of keen Gazette letter writers have nominated on various groups, along with other community identities.

Due to the government ban on dual roles for councillors, Hawkesbury councillors and State MPs, Kevin Conolly (Riverstone), and Bart Bassett (Londonderry), were no longer entitled to nominate. Bill Whelan will also not be standing again.

CANDIDATE GROUPINGS

Groups as follows:

Candidate, affiliation where nominated

Group A

Christine Paine, Independent

Harry Terry, Independent

Shirley Smith, Independent

Narelle Ward, Independent

Tara Vigouroux, Independent

Ian Burns-Woods, Independent

Group B

Bob Porter, Independent

Trevor Devine, Independent

Michael Scholz, Independent

Tessie Ripa, Independent

Tracie Everard, Independent

Geoffery Bessell, Independent

Dave Coaldrake, Independent

Stephen Vella, Independent

Group C

Warwick Mackay

Glen Kanawati

Lynne Ingham

Graham Kennedy

Luke Hazell

Ellen Simpson

Fred Elias

Group D

Tony Pettitt, Australia First Party

Robert Fraser, Australia First Party

Patricia Crawford, Australia First Party

Colin Doddrell, Australia First Party

Ted Crawford, Australia First Party

Trevor Hill, Australia First Party

Group E

Leigh Williams, The Greens

Danielle Wheeler, The Greens

Joel Macrae, The Greens

Chris Ahrens, The Greens

Laurie Fraser, The Greens

John Jose, The Greens

Group F

Paul Rasmussen, Independent

Fiona Smith, Independent

Wally Eggleton, Independent

Kim Smith, Independent

Gavin Casburn, Independent

Carl Stringfellow, Independent

Group G

Mary Lyons-Buckett, Independent

Roderick Storie, Independent

Marie Bowyer, Independent

Doug Carbery, Independent

Steven Rawling, Independent

Pauline Alchin, Independent

Group H

Barry Calvert, Labor

Vickie Shackley, Labor

Bryan Smith, Labor

Margaret Smith, Labor

Sean Campbell, Labor

Peter Reynolds, Labor

Group I

Kim Ford, Liberal

Tiffany Tree, Liberal

Mike Creed, Liberal

Jill Reardon, Liberal

Patrick Conolly, Liberal

Gordon McDonald, Liberal

Neville Wearne, Liberal

Sarah Richards, Liberal

Bronwyn Pullen, Liberal

Ungrouped

Paul Gale, Independent

Jason Cornelius, Family First NSW Inc