Greek Australian Councillors for the City of Monash Paul Klisaris and Stephen Dimopoulos rebutted claims made against them by South Eastern Metropolitan MP Inga Peulich.
The State Liberal Victorian MP spoke in Parliament at the end of June raising her concerns over issues at the Monash City Council.
“The matters I wish to place on the public record today involve the conduct of key members of the ALP ruling faction in the City of Monash,” Mrs Peulich said.
Amongst other things she aired allegations of electoral rules breaching by current Mayor Cr Klisaris and former Mayor Cr Dimopoulos: “[…]Labor councillor Paul Klisaris was found to be inappropriately enrolled for council nomination but, surprisingly, was given a reprieve and provided with legal representation, funded by Monash, in order to be reinstated and eligible for council elections.
“But I believe the most serious case is one that was reported and submitted to the Victorian Electoral Commission as well as to the Ombudsman, which alleges that a fraudulent nomination form for a council candidate was signed by Labor councillor Steve Dimopolous in the presence of Cr Lake, Cr Klisaris and former Cr Manzie and submitted by a staff member of Cr Klisaris,” Mrs Peulich said in Parliament.
Neither the Victorian Electoral Commission nor the Ombudsman have indicated the launch of an ivestigation into these matters.
When contacted by Neos Kosmos English Edition (NKEE) Cr Klisaris branded these allegations as completely baseless.
He suggested that the Liberal MP lacks any credibility and that she is motivated by political opportunism.
“Her agenda is to tarnish all Councillors with the Brimbank brush,” Cr Klisaris stressed.
Cr Dimopoulos argued as well that Mrs Peulich is trying to capitalize politically on the momentum of the Brimbank Council scandal.
After a nine month investigation, the Victorian Ombudsman released a damning report early in May into dealings of the ALP dominated Brimbank City Council.
“They think they’ve earned their lucky stripes… they think they have found a Brimbank [scandal] in Monash, which is completely unfounded,” Cr Dimopoulos said.
He called the Liberal MP a “rogue politician” whose allegations are “completely and absolutely false.”
Cr Klisaris suggested that Mrs Peulich is also hiding behind her Parliament seat.
“She is using the Parliamentary privilege to defame and stain [people’s] reputations and we’ve challenged her from day one to make those statements outside this process where she would be accountable by the laws of the land,” Cr Klisaris said.
Repeated efforts by NKEE to speak to Mrs Peulich remained unanswered.
