Milad El-Halabi JP is an Australian former politician. He was a councillor on the City of Moreland (now known as the City of Merri-bek) in Victoria from 2004 until 2008, and again from 2020 until 2022.[1]

Milad El-Halabi
Councillor of the City of Moreland
for North-West Ward
In office
17 November 2020 – 10 February 2022
Preceded byJohn Kavanagh
Succeeded byMonica Harte
In office
26 November 2004 – 29 November 2008
Preceded byWard created
Succeeded byEnver Erdogan
Personal details
Political partyIndependent Labor
Other political
affiliations
Labor (suspended in 2022)

In February 2022, El-Halabi resigned as a councillor after being charged with conspiracy to cheat and defraud for allegedly tampering with the council election in his ward.[2] It was later found that he had been unduly elected.[3]

Political career

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El-Halabi was first elected to the City of Moreland in North-West Ward at the 2004 local elections. He was defeated in 2008, receiving 4.13% of the vote.[4]

He unsuccessfully contested the 2012 and 2016 local elections, receiving 3.22% and 3.78% of the vote respectively.[5]

At the 2020 local elections, El-Halabi returned to the council as the fourth councillor elected in North-West Ward.[1]

On 10 February 2022, El-Halabi was being charged by Victoria Police with conspiracy to cheat and defraud for allegedly tampering with the election in his ward.[2] He was suspended as a member of the Labor Party, then resigned as a councillor.[2] He was replaced via countback the following month by Socialist Alliance's Monica Harte.[6]

El-Halabi, his wife Dianna and his daughter Tania, were alleged to have stole multiple ballot papers and lodged them with the Victorian Electoral Commission, therefore prejudicing the election result.[7]

On 31 March 2023, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) found that El-Halabi was unduly elected, but the election of the 3 other councillors to North-West Ward was not affected by the inclusion of fraudulent ballots in the count.[3] El-Halabi continues to deny all allegations.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Moreland City Council election results 2020". Victorian Electoral Commission.
  2. ^ a b c "Councillor resigns following electoral fraud charges as VCAT mulls fresh election". The Age.
  3. ^ a b "Merri-bek City Council, North-West Ward inquiry concludes". Victorian Electoral Commission.
  4. ^ "2008 council election results". Victorian Electoral Commission.
  5. ^ "2012 council election results". Victorian Electoral Commission.
  6. ^ "Second socialist elected in Moreland, after Labor property developer steps down". Green Left.
  7. ^ Morgan, Danny. "Former Moreland councillor Milad El-Halabi in court over alleged rigging of ballots in 2020 election". ABC News.
  8. ^ Morgan, Cassandra. "Votes tampered with in Melbourne council poll: tribunal". The West Australian.