LIBERAL candidate for Paterson Karen Howard has distanced herself from supporters – including an apprentice Anglican priest – who allegedly tampered with posters of her Labor opponent Meryl Swanson and shoved the husband of a state Labor MP.
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Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison and her husband Robert Aitchison confronted two men near Stockland Green Hills about 8pm Saturday over what they said was an attempt to cut down some of Ms Swanson’s corflute posters from a fence.
Mr Aitchison, a Maitland councillor, said one of the men then shoved him. He reported the incident to police.
One of the men, who Mr and Mrs Aitchison photographed, was Jesse Poole.
The St Peter’s Anglican Church of East Maitland lists Mr Poole as a parish ministry apprentice, and features him on its Facebook page.
Mr Poole told Fairfax Media he “wasn’t aware of any altercation” with the Aitchisons and denied tampering with Ms Swanson’s posters.
“In the final stages of an election campaign like the one for Paterson there is a lot of energy,” Mr Poole said. “I haven’t removed any corflute and the corflute in question was still there when I left.”
Asked if he was involved in Ms Howard’s campaign, Mr Poole said, “I, along with many people in the area, support Karen Howard”.
Ms Howard said she was unaware of the incident until she was told by Fairfax Media.
“I don’t condone the behaviour of the people allegedly involved,” she said. “I didn’t ask them to take these alleged actions and I will not have anyone who takes these actions as part of my campaign.”
Ms Swanson called on Ms Howard to “investigate” the incident, especially if the two men in question supported her campaign.
“Karen needs to show some leadership on this and at least investigate it,” Ms Swanson said.
“It’s quite unbelievable, to be shoving an elected official. Are we going to see them at the polling booths, giving people a shove?”
Mr Aitchison said he had reported the alleged push to the police to take a stand against “thuggery”.
“They’ve got to learn that you can’t go round putting your hands on people,” he said.
“It could have got ugly.”
The contest for the marginal seat of Paterson, which Ms Howard hopes to retain for the Liberals, looms as the closest in the Hunter heading into Saturday’s federal election.