Karen Chijoff

Karen Chijoff was an Australian political candidate for the seat in the Division of Lindsay, for the Liberal Party of Australia in the 2007 Australian federal election.

According to her campaign website, Chijoff had worked previously as a computer analyst and programmer working for public and private enterprise. She associated herself closely with the retiring Liberal member for Lindsay Jackie Kelly, claiming to have worked with her for the five years before the election.

On 21 November 2007, three days before the election, her husband Greg Chijoff was caught with four other people (including Jackie Kelly's husband Gary Clark) in the electorate of Lindsay handing out fake pamphlets purporting to be from a non-existent Islamic group, thanking the Labor Party for supporting terrorists [cite news | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/21/2097484.htm | title=Kelly's husband linked to misleading flyers | date=November 22 2007 | publisher=ABC | accessdate=2007-11-23] . Jeff Egan, a member of the NSW State Executive and a senior powerbroker within the NSW branch of the Liberal Party was expelled from the party for his part in the Federal Election pamphlet scandal, and Gary Clark and Greg Chijoff were forced to resign from the party. [cite news | title=Fake flyer distributors apologise |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/22/2098498.htm | publisher=ABC | date=November 22 2007 | accessdate=2007-11-23] cite news | title=Leaflet scandal triggers resignation | url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Rudd-condemns-Libs-over-bogus-leaflet/2007/11/22/1195321922180.html | publisher=Sydney Morning Herald | date=November 22 2007 | accessdate=2007-11-23] Karen Chijoff claimed she knew nothing of the fake flyers. [cite news | title=Chijoff 'knew nothing' of fake flyers |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/24/2100097.htm | publisher=ABC | date=November 24 2007 | accessdate=2007-11-24] On the day of the election, Chaser member Chas Licciardello confronted Karen Chijoff in an Osama bin Laden costume he had used previously during the APEC summit and attempted to pass her copies of the flyer [cite news | title=Chaser's Chas Licciardello enjoys a big day out |url=http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22814851-5006301,00.html?from=mostpop | publisher=The Advertiser | date=November 24 2007 | accessdate=2007-11-25] . Chijoff lost the seat to Labor's David Bradbury with a massive swing against her.

ee also

* 2007 Australian Federal Election pamphlet scandal

References

External links

* [http://www.karenchijoff.com/about/about_karen/about_karen.html Campaign website - About Karen] Retrieved on 2007-11-24.

Persondata
NAME=Chijoff, Karen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian political candidate
DATE OF BIRTH=
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DATE OF DEATH=living
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