One of the guiding beliefs of my campaign is that sunshine is the best disinfectant — and I firmly believe that shining a light on petty political games does little to recommend the Liberal Party to the sensible centre of our community, who will ultimately decide this election.
This week, just six days out from the federal election, a private email from 2024 has been selectively leaked to News Corp media outlets by Liberal Party sources. The email contains a sentence written in frustration during the final months of my time as President of the Berry Chamber of Commerce and Tourism.
The fuller context of the email reads:
"I don’t know how much more clear I need to be in order to seek the support of Council to ensure the sustainable operations of the Berry Chamber of Commerce. My term as President finishes in August, and I cannot wait to get the hell out of this miserable backwards retirement village. What I would like to do is set the organisation up for success into the future before I go. Kicking this down the road for another five to ten years will miss the opportunity of this moment of positive momentum that I have volunteered endlessly for the last few years to create the conditions for."
While I acknowledge that the wording was unfortunate and poorly chosen, it is important to understand the full story.
This comment came during a moment of exhaustion and frustration, after months of stonewalling by Shoalhaven City Council over basic requests for transparency about community asset management.
For more than two years, I advocated — professionally and respectfully — for more open, competitive leasing processes for council-owned buildings in Berry, many of which were being repeatedly awarded on low-cost, non-transparent leases to a narrow group of organisations.
My efforts as Chamber President focused on:
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Securing the financial sustainability of the Chamber,
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Opening up valuable community facilities for broader and more inclusive use, and
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Ensuring that all members of the Berry community — not just a select few — had fair access to community assets.
Anyone familiar with the dynamics of Berry’s community groups will recognise the occasional frustrations felt by those who seek to modernise and open up community processes, particularly when facing resistance from small but powerful vested interests.
Why This Has Surfaced Now
After I announced my independent candidacy for Gilmore, Liberal Party member Luke Sikora — a former Liberal State candidate — lodged a Government Information Public Access (GIPA) request to trawl through years of my Chamber correspondence with Shoalhaven City Council.
Out of 266 pages of detailed correspondence, the only thing they have chosen to leak is one poorly worded private comment, made in the 11th hour as these leases were being renewed on the same terms to the same groups. The email reflected personal exhaustion — it is not a reflection of my view of retirees, it was sent from my personal work email address, was not a statement of official Chamber business, and certainly is not a reflection of my commitment to my home town of Berry.
If this is the worst they can find, I am confident that the people of Gilmore will see this for what it is — a last-ditch political smear campaign — and judge me by the work I have done, not by a single sentence spoken in a private email to a close colleague expressing a moment of human frustration.
My Record in Berry
Over my time as President, I am proud to have:
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Helped secure the financial sustainability of the Berry Chamber of Commerce,
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Doubled Chamber membership through active leadership and membership diversification,
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Maintained strong, professional relationships with Council and local stakeholders, and
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Led Berry to win three consecutive Top Tourism Town awards, culminating in Hall of Fame recognition.