Former mayor Steve Christou vows to campaign as a ‘Spartan’ as an independent for Parramata

The former mayor of Cumberland City Council in western Sydney, Steve Christou, has announced that he will stand as an independent candidate for Parramata in the forthcoming federal elections.

Cr Christou who is still a member of Cumberland City Council said that both major political parties had shown in recent yearσ a lack of leadership on major issues affecting the communities in the Sydney Inner Metropolitan constituency.

“It was apparent during COVID when there was a police and army presence on the streets while members of the community could not go out to work and earn a living for their families. And the community was not made eligible for flood relief until late in the process,” Cr Christou told Neos Kosmos. “They (the government) can find money to fund people overseas but not for the people here.”

He said Labor had shown how out of touch it was when it selected Andrew Charlton as its candidate for Parramata.

“The final straw for me was when Labor decided to give a slap in the face of the Parramata electorate and select a millionaire candidate from Bellevue Hill.”

Cr Christou spent 18 years with the Labor Party, 10 of which he worked for a federal MP and then as a councillor under Labor.

“You vote the way your party votes otherwise there are deep repercussions. I saw it happen as a Labor councillor when I voted against the party’s wishes – you are isolated, you get pre-selection threats and no one wants to talk to you. As an independent, I can speak on issues I feel are right and not as how a party would want me to vote.

“It is a big task ahead but I am standing out of principle, the big parties think they can ignore Western Sydney. I have a good following and we will campaign very hard, like Spartans. We will go to the people and we will work through the media and social media,” said Cr Christou. “Parramata is held by a margin of 3.5 percent and my candidacy will ensure who will be the next MP.”

neoskosmos.com