Shaun Gilchrist Obituary, Death – Five days before the Victorian state election, a National Party candidate who was scheduled to appear in court on rape allegations passed away. On Sunday, Shaun David Gilchrist, 47, a candidate for the Narracan regional seat, passed away suddenly in Rawson. While a report will be prepared for the coroner after police were summoned to a bushland at 4.15 p.m., the death is not being investigated as suspicious. According to AAP, he was scheduled to appear in County Court on November 30 for sexual offenses. The trial was scheduled for June 2023. Peter Walsh, the leader of National, told reporters on Monday that the party had no knowledge of the accusations at the time Mr. Gilchrist was endorsed.
However, Mr. Walsh would not confirm or deny whether the coalition had discussed the accusations with the 47-year-old prior to his passing. His widow particularly requested that I respect their privacy, so I won’t comment on the topics because of that, Mr. Walsh said. The children and partner of Mr. Gilchrist, who resided in Warragul but traveled extensively on behalf of business and government, are still alive. Despite the fact that he had never met Mr. Gilchrist, Premier Daniel Andrews said in a statement that he was “respected by so many across the community for his kindness, his humor, and his hard work.”
He said, “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, coworkers, and supporters, who are all mourning the most tragic of losses. He has passed away, and the Victorian Electoral Commission has been informed. The candidate handbook for the commission states that if a candidate passes away after nominations are closed but before 6 o’clock on election day, the election will be deemed to have “failed.” Instead, a fresh writ will be issued for a district-wide special election. This occurs as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese campaign together on Monday. Mr. Albanese expressed gratitude to poll workers in Caulfield in social media posts and asserted that the state’s premier was securing a better future for all Victorians.
David Southwick, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party, has criticized Mr. Andrews and Labor for referring to some of the candidates for parliament as Nazis. The coalition was accused of referencing Nazis and extremists on their group party ticket by both the premier and deputy premier Jacinta Allan. The government’s use of the word “Nazi,” according to Mr. Southwick, was “completely inappropriate and desperate,” and if any candidates are running who hold such views, they should be named. Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, agreed that the term should only be used when referring to the Holocaust. Dr. Abramovich told reporters on Monday, “I want to know who they are if there are Neo-Nazis running for this election.
“They must be identifiable to the public. Our way of life is in danger because of them.” According to Mr. Southwick, the coalition did not want members of parliament who held extreme views, but in order to boost its prospects of becoming the next government, the party had to give Labor last preference. Additionally, he denied being aware of Renee Heath’s affiliations with the contentious City Builders Church at the time of her pre-selection to the Liberal Party. Although it was too late to withdraw their endorsement of Ms. Heath, Liberal Leader Matthew Guy stated she would not sit in his party room if she won.
According to Ms. Heath, who spoke with Nine, she has hired attorneys to determine whether she has a case to file a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission. She stated it was “absolutely incorrect and deceptive” to imply that she supported gay conversion therapy. After hearing recordings of Timothy Dragan’s remarks about Indigenous Australians, abortion, and climate change, Mr. Guy endorsed Dragan for the Liberal Party over the weekend. The Liberal Leader declared that no further action would be taken after accepting Mr. Dragan’s apology. The Labor candidate for Richmond has also drawn criticism from her family, who say she is not an Aboriginal person. Throughout her election campaign, Lauren O’Dwyer has referred to herself as a proud Yorta Yorta woman, yet according to a family member, she has no such ties.
