A MEMBER of the Labor Party has lost the chance to run in this weekend's Sutherland Shire Council preselections after a car containing branch records was stolen.
Stephen Jones of Grays Point was hoping to win preselection for A Ward but failed in his attempts after branch records were stolen, along with a car belonging to Cronulla branch secretary Dave McKinley.
The documents include attendance books that were required to verify party records of the six members of the Labor Party's Cronulla branch who had backed Mr Jones's nomination.
Mr Jones, a member of the Gymea/Grays Point branch of the Labor Party for 2 and 1/2 years, first approached the Cronulla branch two years ago with a view of running for A Ward in the upcoming Sutherland Shire Council elections.
Only members of branches that fall within the wards are able to nominate candidates.
The ward, which takes in Cronulla, Woolooware and Caringbah, has been without a Labor Party presence since the last local government elections four years ago.
Mr Jones visited the Cronulla branch one of only two branches whose members are able to vote for a candidate in A ward on May 27.
He left with the support of six members - one more than required to qualify for preselection.
At that point no one else had announced plans to run for A ward preselection.
On June 6, Labor councillor Scott Docherty, who has served C Ward since 1999, announced he would switch to A Ward, after former federal Labor candidate Mark Buttigieg sought preselection in C Ward.
A deadline of June 14 was set to check the credentials of the six Cronulla branch members who were backing Mr Jones.
Before the branch records were able to be verified by a returning officer, Mr McKinley reported his car, containing the records, had been stolen.
This meant Mr Jones was unable to run for preselection. Because members planning to vote in preselections must prove their ongoing membership and attendance at meetings, all Cronulla branch members have been disenfranchised.
With Cronulla branch members banned from voting this weekend, the job of choosing a Labor candidate for A Ward will fall to the Caringbah branch, of which Mr Docherty is a member.
As the only candidate, Mr Docherty is expected to win preselection unopposed.
Mr Jones said that after learning of the theft, he contacted ALP headquarters and was told his only hope of running was if Mr McKinley could supply the necessary proof of branch membership by June 18.
A Qantas employee for 34 years until he retired in 2005, Mr Jones devotes himself to several charities in Sydney, including two in St George and Sutherland Shire.
He said he wanted to enter politics to "make a difference'' and was bitterly disappointed that his bid had ended this way.
"The Labor Party has lost the chance to have a fresh new candidate to represent A ward,'' he said.
Mark Buttigieg said it was not all that unusual for branches to be disenfranchised for failing to show adequate records.
"As far as I understand, the car was stolen and the books were in the car,'' he said. "There was a police report [that] the car was stolen.''
Neither Mr McKinley nor Mr Docherty had returned the Leader'scalls at the time of going to press.