Dirty tactics

By Melissa Meehan
A GREATER Dandenong Council candidate says she has been followed by a private investigator in the lead-up to this weekend’s election.
Incumbent councillor and candidate Sue Walton contacted Star last week, claiming a private investigator had been hired on behalf of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidates running against her.
“I am being targeted because I am going ahead in this election independent from the ALP,” Cr Walton said.
The former ALP member said the party had set out to destroy her, but declined to name specific people.
“The ALP have said they want to destroy me, and this is an attempt to do that.”
Cr Walton said she was worried and felt intimidated by the tactics.
“People are playing dirty games,” Cr Walton said. “I am worried for the safety and privacy of my children.”
Cr Walton said she first noticed a man was following her while dropping pamphlets in Noble Park with her 13-year-old daughter.
“I saw him twice, but didn’t think anything of it,” she said.
That was until she saw the man while she was dropping her daughter off at school, then again at Parkmore shopping centre later that morning.
She said she became worried when the man, in a silver Commodore station wagon, followed her home and did a U-turn at the bottom of her court.
Fearing for the safety of herself and her family, Cr Walton followed the station wagon to the main road in her partner’s car.
“I took down his numberplate and called triple 0,” Cr Walton said.
“Local police then came to my house and said he was a private investigator.”
Furious at what she described as a “form of intimidation”, Cr Walton said she could only guess that the private investigator was called to “dig some dirt” on her.
“They can try to find some dirt on me, but they won’t find anything,” she said.
“Whoever planned the investigator should have a good look at themselves and think about how they can rebuild their relationship with the community rather than try to intimidate me.”
The Star contacted a number of candidates who said they had no knowledge of any private investigator.
Candidate and sitting councillor, Roz Blades, said that the private investigator claims were news to her.
“Every election I get funny phone calls, but that’s expected,” she said.
“The private investigator is a shock to me.”
Candidate Naim Melham said: “I know nothing about it and haven’t heard anything.”
Cr Jim Memeti said while it sounded very interesting; “I haven’t heard anything like that before.”
Springvale’s Constable Chris Peters confirmed that police were sent out to Cr Walton’s address on 20 November.
“Two officers attended Cr Walton’s home at about 10am and found that the man was a private investigator,” Cons Peters said. “She chose not to take the matter further.”
ALPVictoria head office did not return calls from Star.