Campaign posters are up, flyers are being stuffed into mailboxes, and time is ticking for council candidates as Poll Day fast approaches.
In Ku-ring-gai, there is a healthy amount of competition.
Her first shot at campaigning, Indu Balachandran is running for the Gordon Ward. She has built a neat, little community around her, energising and encouraging her to push on, reach further. Indu has been meeting community organisations and individuals, building campaign material, surveying residents, letterbox dropping, doorknocking, and speaking with the community at stations, shops, and parks.
‘It is important to interact as a community member,’ says Indu. ‘There is a gentle 12-year-old campaigner in my team who quietly hands out fliers and makes the most harried shopper stop and take a moment to smile. These are some of the moments in which I have seen the best in our community.’
For some candidates, though, it has not been smooth sailing.
Young and eager, Jack Abadee for the Wahroonga Ward has copped some heat seeing posters stolen and unsavoury critical comments made online. Steadfast in his Liberal membership and his opinions of the North Turramurra Recreation Area grandstand revamp (newsflash, some residents do want the development to proceed), Jack is unfazed by the community Facebook groups questioning his validity as possible Ku-ring-gai councillor.
‘I entered this race to make our community better, and if that means facing a few naysayers along the way, so be it,’ says Jack. ‘We live in a democracy, and it’s crucial that everyone has the right to express their views, whether they agree with me or not.’
Despite this, Jack’s journey has been rewarding for him. Serving as an adviser for federal parliament, and campaigning for candidates in regional Queensland and New South Wales in the past, Jack notes that his own campaign has been among his most intense political experiences.
‘I believe this intensity stems from the deep frustration within our community towards the current council and the questionable actions of some of our so-called “representatives”,’ says Jack.
Incumbent Wahroonga councillor, Cedric Spencer, has been causing a stir. In Cedric’s eyes, his campaign has been eye-opening, as constituents and old friends bring him feedback and their concerns for Ku-ring-gai Council. He runs on some key policies, including but not limited to stopping Council from spreading the transport-oriented development in the Wahroonga Ward, stopping the proposal for high rises in North Wahroonga, Western Road and Princes Street, and stopping Council’s legal actions against the state government.
With a returning ticket to keep his seat in the Wahroonga Ward, Cedric has no qualms being active across social media and dispelling his commentary on the candidate line-up.
In particular, the candidacy of one Jack Abadee. Cedric has been accused of antisemitic rhetoric towards Jack, but he maintains that the accusation was frivolous.
In a Facebook post, Cedric had written “Bring the Kleenex. Just heard that a 25-year-old candidate asked his Dad to fight his battles for him. Welcome to the big leagues princess”, though later posted that candidates should be “friendly competitors” and there was “no need to badmouth each other”.
When questioned, Cedric acknowledged that the “joke” was inappropriate.
It’s a tight race, and it seems that candidates aren’t afraid to dirty themselves up in the mud.
