Alp Expels 5 Members
Illawarra Mercury
Saturday April 5, 2008
FIVE Wollongong ALP members named in recent corruption hearings were expelled from the party yesterday and now have two weeks to plead their case being kicked out for good.
The Labor Party yesterday confirmed former Wollongong council officer Joe Scimone and former Wollongong councillors Frank Gigliotti, Kiril Jonovski, Zeki Esen and Val Zanotto had been expelled from the party.None of the five returned the Mercury's calls yesterday.The ALP, however, was unequivocal."They are no longer considered members of the ALP," a spokesman said yesterday.The move left a sour taste in the mouth of some, including former Labor councillor Tony Kent."They haven't been through a trial process ... they have been treated as scapegoats," Mr Kent said."The Labor Party is under pressure and the easy way out is to sack these people," he said."It shows you politics is a dirty business and this is just part of it."However, long-standing ALP member Chris Christodoulou welcomed the move."This decision of the ALP could not have come faster. It's a shame it took the ICAC inquiry for the party to understand the implications of over a decade of branch stacking," he said."This ... has got to be only the first step in a complete process of renewal in the Illawarra. The people of the Illawarra are not stupid and they deserve much better representation."
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury
