By Sean Nicholls
High profile Labor mayor Frank Carbone has gone public to allege rorting of the preselection for the top job at Fairfield Council, declaring that corrupt former ALP minister Joe Tripodi "is at work again".
Cr Carbone has accused Labor's head office of turning a blind eye to the process, which he says "makes House of Cards look like Play School".
In an extraordinary move, he will run on an independent ticket alongside businesswoman and Fairfield Liberal councillor Dai Le, who has also fallen out with her own party over the September elections.
Cr Carbone's formal complaint to Labor head office alleges that before the ballot on Saturday, non-party members were being handed voting cards in the car park behind the preselection venue and implies Labor councillor Kien "TK" Ly was involved.
Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone alleges preselection rorting. Credit: Wesley Lonergan
"You even observed cards being issued to non-members and when challenged for ID they just ran away despite having a woman's carry bag in their possession," Cr Carbone wrote.
He says he is aware that many people whose names were marked off did not attend the ballot and has referred the matter to the police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
"It's clear that Joe Tripodi is at work again," he said.
But Mr Tripodi hit back, accusing Cr Carbone of making "desperate noise. Always crowing brilliance when he wins, crying foul when he loses.
Liberal Dai Le will run as an independent for Fairfield Council.Credit: James Alcock
"Carbone will throw my name into anything to grab a headline," Mr Tripodi said.
"He should just grow up, be a man and respect the wish of Labor members."
Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone has declared that Joe Tripodi "is at work again".Credit: Daniel Munoz
Cr Carbone notes that 200 people voted in the preselection ballot and that many were driven to the venue by Fairfield MP Guy Zangari and councillor George Barcha.
Cr Barcha works as an electorate officer for Prospect MP Hugh McDermott and was last year suspended by the party for six months over "serious misconduct" in relation to branch stacking allegations.
Fairfax Media recently revealed that Mr Zangari, Mr McDermott and Cabramatta MP Nick Lalich wrote to Labor head office asking the party to disendorse Cr Carbone, arguing his property interests conflict with his public duties.
Cr Carbone was cleared by a candidate review committee.
On Wednesday, Mr Zangari said that "elderly members without transport asked me for assistance to participate in a Labor Party ballot. I was happy to oblige."
"This included Mr Tripodi's elderly parents, who do not own a car and have been party members for well over 20 years," he said.
"As far as I am aware, the ballot was conducted in accordance with party rules."
On Tuesday night the Labor Internal Appeals Tribunal heard a formal challenge to the mayoral ballot from Cr Carbone, who on Saturday lost to rival ALP councillor Del Bennett.
Cr Carbone has also been dropped from the Labor ticket altogether by the ALP's administrative committee, despite winning 71 per cent of the two-party preferred vote at the 2012 mayoral election.
In its decision, obtained by Fairfax Media, the tribunal says that Cr Carbone "has provided information which if true would give rise to strong concerns [as] to the conduct of the ballot".
But it said it would be unfair to take any action because other candidates have not been notified and "due to the electoral timeline".
In an email to general secretary Kaila Murnain, Cr Carbone said: "It appears that head office will put its head in the sand again and the NSW Labor Party is again being controlled by a person found to be corrupt, Joe Tripodi".
Cr Carbone has now resolved to run as an independent candidate for mayor, risking expulsion from the ALP after 20 years.
He will also run on an independent ticket alongside Cr Le, who is risking a long-term ban from the Liberal Party by running as an independent for mayor after failing to be preselected.
Cr Le was squeezed out of the preselection by fellow Liberal councillor Joe Molluso amid claims he and Cr Bennett had links to Mr Tripodi.
Opponents of Cr Molluso distributed an email from Mr Tripodi to him and Cr Bennett in relation to disciplinary action against former councillor Zaya Toma.
Cr Molluso says he only knows Mr Tripodi via his local church.
In a statement to Fairfax Media, Cr Carbone said: "Both the local Labor and Liberal parties have been taken over by forces with links to the corrupt former minister Joe Tripodi. It makes House of Cards look like Play School.
"Sadly, neither Labor Party head office nor Liberal Party head office are prepared to take action to protect their parties to represent the people and its genuine members."
Cr Carbone said he would continue to support the ALP but would renominate for mayor without its endorsement "in the best interest of the people".
"I am not an independent. I love the Labor Party - and what it stands for. However, I must do what I believe is in the best interests of not only the ALP but also our local community."
Cr Le said she "cannot take a step back from running for mayor because some party machine said I can't do it".
"There has to be some role model for women, especially those of non-English speaking background, to step into the political arena," she said.
Cr Barcha and Cr Ly were contacted for comment.
In 2014, Mr Tripodi was found by the ICAC to have acted corruptly by "deliberately failing to disclose" to his cabinet colleagues that the family of corrupt former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid owned cafe leases at Circular Quay, which he renewed without a tender in 2009.