By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
CRANBOURNE MP Jude Perera has denied an electioneering letter sent to Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti was an attempt to solicit campaign funds from the council.
The 22 August letter had been listed on the council’s meeting agenda under “registered correspondence to mayor and councillors”.
It was described as a “letter from Jude Perera MP requesting support for the 2014 Cranbourne Election Campaign”.
A spokesman for Mr Perera said the letter asking for a campaign donation was addressed to Cr Memeti “personally” as an ALP member, rather than as a letter to the “mayor and councillors”.
“I spoke to Jude about it this morning. He said I did send him a letter but it was personal.
“Someone (at the council) must have opened the letter addressed to (Cr Memeti) and put it in the in-tray for ‘mayor and councillors’.”
At a council meeting on Monday, councillor John Kelly said he found the letter “extraordinary”, asking Cr Memeti if he had responded to the letter.
“I think the answer is ‘no’. That will be the response,” Cr Memeti replied.
He later told the Journal the council would write to Mr Perera to say it “won’t support any political parties”.
Cr Memeti said he accepted the letter was addressed to him personally as a “Labor member”.
