NEW COUNCILLORS: L-R Amy Johnson, Joshua Morris, Vicky Coltman, Peter Innes, John Burt, John Phillips, Samantha McIntosh and Belinda Coates (absent Des Hudson).
MOST of the new Ballarat City councillors say they received no political party campaign funding.
Seven of the nine councillors said yesterday they had never been given money by the Liberal Party, ALP or the Greens for their council tilt.
Councillor Belinda Coates was an endorsed Greens candidate and Cr Des Hudson, who is an ALP member but stood as an independent, was unavailable for comment due to work commitments.
Cr Vicki Coltman, who is a Liberal Party member but stood as an independent, said her campaign was totally self-funded.
“Absolutely not,” Cr Coltman said when asked if she had been financially backed by a political party.
“The Liberal Party does not get involved in supporting council candidates financially.”
Cr Amy Johnson, who joined the Liberal Party on Monday after initially standing as an independent, said the Liberal Party did not fund any part of her campaign.
“I received donations from both family and friends,” Cr Johnson said.
“My campaign manager was a Liberal Party member and that is where I realised that my views were quite similar to those of the Liberal ideologies.
“All donations I received were well under the amount that needed to be declared.”
Fellow Liberal Party members Cr John Burt and Cr Samantha McIntosh, who also stood as independents, said they did not receive party funds.
“N-O, no,” Cr Burt said.
“I absolutely did not receive any political party funding,” Cr McIntosh said.
Cr John Philips, Cr Peter Innes and Cr Joshua Morris also said they received no political party funding.
According to the Local Government Act, donation periods for new council candidates begins 30 days after the last council election, which would be December 2008 for the new council.
Donation periods for the existing councillors re-elected begin 30 days after the election they were first voted in.
The donation period ends 30 days after election day.
All candidates, both successful and unsuccessful, must lodge returns showing all their donations over $500.
These returns will be published on the Ballarat City Council website on December 20.
fiona.henderson@thecourier.com.au