Liberal candidate forced to change profile after false Matraville incinerator claim

By DANIEL LO SURDO

The Liberal Party’s candidate for Kingsford Smith has been forced to change her online candidate profile after falsely claiming she was “part of” a grassroots campaign against the Matraville incinerator, after the No More Incinerators (NMI) community organisation found that she had “not joined or taken part in” any of their actions.

Grace Tan, who is the Liberal candidate for Kingsford Smith and says that she “is known as someone who works for our community”, was forced to change the wording on her website biography this week after it was found that she had no involvement in the local campaign against the controversial Matraville incinerator.

Originally, Tan had written that she has been “part of” the campaign against the incinerator, but the Liberal Party has since confirmed to City Hub that this would be changed to read that she “supports” the movement.

“No More Incinerators Inc wishes to clarify that Ms Tan has not joined or taken part in the No More Incinerators ‘grassroots campaign’ or attended any local precinct meetings or other NMI functions,” a spokesperson for NMI told City Hub.

“Following discussions with Mr Daniel Rosenfeld, chair for the Maroubra Liberals it was agreed that this reference would be removed from the Liberal Party website.”

The NMI spokesperson also confirmed with City Hub that there aren’t any other local organisations campaigning against the Matraville incinerator, which has also been opposed by Randwick mayor Dylan Parker.

Kingsford Smith candidate modifies account of involvement in ‘dark cloud’ incinerator campaign

The proposed incinerator at the Opal papermill, which would burn truckloads of waste near homes in Matraville, has been vehemently opposed in the southeastern suburbs of Sydney, with Cr Parker calling the development a “dark cloud hanging over our community for three years”.

It was announced earlier this year that a regulation drafted by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority would render the incinerator proposal ineligible, as it would prohibit industries in the Sydney basin from using waste to energy technology if more environmentally friendly fuel sources were already being used, including the natural gas that’s being used in Matraville.

The seat of Kingsford Smith is considered a safe Labor seat, having been held by the party since the electorate’s creation in 1949. Matt Thistlethwaite – who has represented the area since succeeding outgoing Labor member Peter Garrett in 2013 – will be recontesting the seat and is facing challenges from the Greens, the United Australia Party, One Nation and the Liberal Party.