Established in 2003
proudly serving the Northern Suburbs
26 NOVEMBER, 2024
It’s carols time again
Artists Freddie Gibson and Rance Lazarus will perform at the Hume Carols by Candlelight on December 7. (Damjan Janevski) 444835_01
Carols by Candlelight is returning to Craigieburn’s Anzac Park, bringing a sleighful of exciting special guests, including celebrity MC Gorgi Coghlan. Set for Saturday, December 7, the event will welcome star of the Australian stage and TV personality Gorgi Coghlan as the guest MC, notable to fans as host of The Project on channel 10 and her role as ‘Monster’ on The Masked Singer. Joining Coghlan to deliver a repertoire of favourite carols will be a full program of Hume-based musicians, including Freddie Gibson and Rance Lazarus (pictured), local school choirs, and special performances And, of course, Santa will be there to meet and greet the audience. There will also be Christmas stalls, arts and crafts, face painting, food trucks, a petting zoo, and a spectacular fireworks display to end the night. Pre-entertainment activities begin at 5pm and stage performances run from 7–9.25pm, with a traditional fireworks finale. Hume’s Carols by Candlelight is a free, all-ages event, and while tickets are not required, you can register interest and save the date on its Eventbrite page. Details: eventbrite.com.au/e/carolsby-candlelight-tickets-1047472216597
Probe into vote tampering By Laura Michell and Prealene Khera A northern suburbs MP has questioned whether Local Government Minister Melissa Horne will suspend a Whittlesea councillor while suspected vote tampering in the Lalor ward in investigated. The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) referred voting irregularities to police and the Local Government Inspectorate (LGI) for investigation after it detected a high number of multiple ballot papers appearing to be from the same voters. The irregularities were also referred to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for a review of the election result.
Electoral commissioner Sven Bluemmel said 128 ballots in Lalor ward were detected as suspicious. Mr Bluemmel said he could not speculate what had happened, or who was behind the suspected vote tampering, but said it “indicates nefarious intent rather than being accidental”. The VEC is unable to determine which candidate the suspicious votes were directed to as the ballot is secret. Labor candidate and former Whittlesea councillor Stevan Kozmevski was elected in Lalor ward with 4953 first preference votes, ahead of independent Ellen McNaught (4002 votes) and community independent
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Nicholas Hajichristou (3346). After preferences, Cr Kozmevski had 6170 votes to Ms McNaught’s 6131. Mr Bluemmel said Cr Kozmevski would continue to serve as a Whittlesea councillor. Speaking in State Parliament on November 14, Northern Metropolitan Liberal MP Evan Mulholland asked Ms Horne if she would suspend Cr Kozmevski for the duration of the investigation. “What action will the minister take to ensure the integrity of the election?” he said. “This is the same part of the world where … the Labor controlled Whittlesea council was sacked.” Ms Horne and Cr Kozmevski did not
respond to questions from Star Weekly. Whittlesea councillor Lawrie Cox, who served on the previous council with Cr Kozmevski, said calls for his suspension were unfounded. “Clearly under the legislation he’s been elected. And I would say the same thing if Stevan wasn’t elected and the other candidate had been elected instead,” he said. “What’s clearly got to be disclosed, is what was the tampering? “I think it’s unfortunate that Stevan, having won the election, is being tainted with the brush of ‘he must be guilty’. That’s wrong. Continued: Page 4.
Thomastown Shopping Centre has everything you need to make this festive season a winner. Food & drinks, cards and wrap, coffee and coffee machines, gift vouchers for all things health and beauty, perfumes, homewares, new phones and tech, records and cds. Follow the socials for some great gift ideas and shop local!! Follow Thomastown Shopping Centre on socials to find out more!!
Conveniently located on High Street Thomastown between Spring St and Pleasant St Thomastown with carparking and public transport right at the door!