June 4 2010
Gold Coast Bulletin readers left in the dark over lobbying disclosure
by Andrew Crook
Crikey has reviewed all of Staerk’s 120 columns for the Bulletin. We found that existing and future clients (as listed on the Queensland Parliament lobbyists register), or Staerk’s direct associates, had been explicitly mentioned without disclosure on 12 separate occasions. As well, we counted 37 specific calls for the Gold Coast council to wind back charges or subsidise developers, who now feature prominently in Staerk’s paid client base.
Staerk, a fixture in the city’s business scene, is arguably just doing his job. But the Bulletin’s readers, without a context to place his columns, have been left in the dark.
Staerk began as a media officer on then-ALP state secretary Peter Beattie’s staff in 1983 and masterminded former-Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley’s 1991 election victory, before joining him as a private secretary. Later, he struck out with own firm, Winning Directions, which collapsed in 2005 owing creditors $1 million and leaving him bankrupt.
....
Since then, there is a catalogue of examples of how Staerk the columnist serves the interests of Staerk the lobbyist.
....
September 26, 2009: on a planned development “roadshow” to the southern states led by Labor-aligned councillor Eddy Sarroff: “What is the point in trying to attract new development investment at a time when our own council’s infrastructure charges are off the Richter scale and are discouraging development here?”
March 25 2007:
Nonpartisan ALP Candidate
Larvatus Prodeo
By Kim
This is a bit weird.
There’s a story in the Gold Coast Bulletin (not my usual weekend reading fare, but I saw it down at the newsagency and this was the front page yarn) about a local councillor, Eddy Sarroff, chatting to Kevin Rudd about preselection for McPherson, which you wouldn’t think the most optimistic Labor strategist would have on the electoral radar, being held by the Libs with a margin of 13.9%. So you’d wonder why the Ruddster spends his time on candidate selection, though maybe there’s some party polling somewhere that tells him something we don’t know.
Anyway, you can read all about Cr Sarroff’s life and times here, but here’s the other weird bit:
Cr Sarroff has made it clear he will not join a faction.
“The Labor Party is aware of that,” said Cr Sarroff.
“I’ve always been a swinging voter. I am not ideologically aligned to any political party.
“I will assess policies on their merit. The reason I have taken this opportunity (to run for McPherson) is that I believe Kevin Rudd is the best man to lead the country, and I want to be with him.
“It’s a cliche but I know I can make a big difference in a Rudd government. You can guarantee that the Gold Coast won’t be neglected like it has been.”
He seems to think he’s Kevin Rudd’s Independent candidate for McPherson. Or something.
Anthony Albanese MP - Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Water
Eddie Sarroff - Labor Candidate for McPherson
Friday 19 October 2007
E & OE – PROOF ONLY
Subject: 100th Anniversary of Surf Life Saving Clubs, grants of $10,000 for Surf Life Saving Clubs for installation of rainwater tanks and water saving devices, Climate Change and the water crisis, Nuclear Power, Polls, Eddie Sarroff and the seat of McPherson
February 21 2011
Knives are out for Eddy Sarroff
Gold Coast Bulletin
by Matthew Killoran
THE knives are out for council finance boss Eddy Sarroff.
It is understood there will be a motion at today's council meeting to ask the embattled councillor to step down as chair of his committee.
The motion comes after Cr Sarroff's calls for the release of estimated council profits from water retailer Allconnex Water and for calling Mayor Ron Clarke a liar on the radio.
There have been a series of reprimands and demotions for the councillor in the past six months.
Cr Sarroff said he will not stand down if asked today.
"If they ask me to step down because I put out information in the public interest, of course I'm not going to do it," he said.
"If they ask me to step down for speaking out on forecasts put out by Allconnex and our own administration, of course I'm not going to do it."
He said he "did not recall" the exact words he used in the radio interview.
Several councillors have privately expressed growing frustration with they say is Cr Sarroff's grandstanding in the public arena and causing disruption at the council.
Cr Ted Shepherd said his colleague's behaviour had been disgraceful and self-serving.
"This is Eddy protecting the State Government. It's grandstanding to protect his Labor mates," he said referring to Cr Sarroff's former membership with the ALP.
June 25 2008
Statements by Members Moncrieff Electorate: Gold Coast Infrastructure
Open Australia.org
Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, the Service Economy and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source
I rise to hold the Rudd Labor government accountable not only for their lack of investment in Gold Coast infrastructure but, more importantly, for the fact that Labor’s candidates on the Gold Coast prior to the last federal election made a whole bunch of election promises that Labor are now walking away from.
I have with me a photocopy of the front page of the Gold Coast Weekend Bulletin of 24-25 March 2007 noting how the Labor Party endorsed a local councillor. It reads:
Councillor Sarroff—
who was the Labor Party candidate in the seat of McPherson—
said he agreed to run on the Labor ticket only after Mr Rudd promised a $2 billion infrastructure upgrade for the Gold Coast.
That is what he said on behalf of the Labor Party on the weekend of 24-25 March 2007—that the Labor Party was committed to a $2 billion infrastructure upgrade on the Gold Coast.
Further, on 15 May 2007, on local FM radio station Hot Tomato, Eddy Sarroff was again very big on behalf of the Labor Party, making all sorts of promises. He said with respect to Gold Coast light rail, public transport and traffic infrastructure:
I think it’s time to take this issue seriously. The Liberals have had a long time to come up with the money. In the meantime, the community is being caught in gridlock. I think we deserve to get our fair share of funding. Peter Costello won’t give it to us. I’m pretty sure Kevin Rudd and his team will.
In fact, we know from Councillor Sarroff that the Labor Party committed $2 billion to upgrading infrastructure on the Gold Coast. The Labor Party, at this point in time, stands accused of saying one thing prior to the election in order to get elected and then saying another after the election. I think the time has come for this Rudd Labor government either to say that Eddy Sarroff, on behalf of the Labor Party, was telling little porky pies when it came to the last federal election or to put its money where its mouth is. We know from that same weekend article that ‘Before accepting his preselection for McPherson, Councillor Sarroff secured’—and I use the word here from the Bulletin‘a commitment from Mr Rudd for a $2 billion infrastructure upgrade.’ He said:
I have given Kevin Rudd my shopping list and he has made it very clear that he will deliver on my agenda.
We are waiting for $2 billion for the Gold Coast. We are waiting for the Rudd government to honour its promise, a promise made by a Labor candidate on the Gold Coast, a promise that the Labor candidate said Kevin Rudd committed to. It is time that this Labor government and this Prime Minister stood up and made it very clear where the Labor Party stands when it comes to $2 billion of infrastructure for the Gold Coast. We will not stand idly by, and I certainly will not stand idly by, while Labor candidates say anything to get elected and then walk away from it later on.
Labor to target Qld in new campaign
March 25 2007
Sydney Morning Herald
The news came as Labor announced star recruit, Gold Coast City Councillor Eddy Sarroff, as its candidate to contest the Gold Coast seat of McPherson.
Cr Sarroff will take on long-time Liberal incumbent Margaret May in a bid to win the seat for Labor for the first time.
Labor has now selected all but one of its candidates to contest the federal election.
