John Faker

John Faker is a prominent Lebanese-Australian politician. He has been Mayor of the City of Burwood (located in the Australian state of New South Wales) since 2001 and is currently the longest serving Mayor since the creation of the City in 1814. He has been a member of the Australian Labor Party since joining Burwood Council as a Councillor in 2000. Faker is the first popularly elected Mayor of the Municipality of Burwood.

## Contents

* 1 Early career and background
* 2 Controversies
* 2.1 2022 Friendly Jordies Video
* 2.2 ICAC Investigations
* 2.2.1 Using taxpayer money to spy on opponents
* 2.2.2 Using taxpayer money for childcare expenses
* 2.2.3 Using taxpayer money for a trip to Lebanon with a property developer
* 2.2.4 Using taxpayer money for home security system
* 2.3 Faker's connection to Urban Link and alleged breach of Labor Party rules
* 2.4 Connections to notable figures
* 2.4.1 Eddie Obeid and Ernest Wong
* 2.4.2 Tom Kotsimbos
* 2.4.3 Sam Dastyari
* 2.5 Employment as a Property Consultant
* 3 References
* 4 External links

## Early career and background[edit]

John Faker was born in Sydney, Australia to a family that is originally from the Lebanese village of Zhratagreen. His wife Julie Faker (nee Obeid) is a member of the infamous Obeid family [1], which contains disgraced former NSW Labor Politician Eddie Obeid which Faker has a close relationship with.[2] His father Assad Faker was the subject of a corruption investigation for lobbying City of Canterbury-Bankstown|Canterbury Council about his property in Earlwood, New South Wales|Earlwood.[1][3]

Faker was first elected to Municipality_of_Burwood|Burwood Council in July 2000 and became Mayor for the first time from September 2001 to September 2002. Faker would go on to become Mayor again in 2005, 2012 and 2022.

In 2014 the Australian Labor party overlooked Faker for preselection into the NSW seat of Strathfield, instead deciding to parachute in Jodi_McKay|Jodi Mckay which Faker blamed the "faceless men of the Labor party" for orchestrating.[4]

## Controversies[edit]

### 2022 Friendly Jordies Video[edit]

In 2022, international journalist and You-Tuber Friendlyjordies|Jordan Shanks-Markovina published a Youtube video titled friendlyjordies Attacks Labor that raised several allegations of corruption against Faker. [1] The most notable being that Faker breached the Australian Labor Party rules by being a 'close associate' of several property developers including his wife and close family members. Due to the number of allegations the Independent Commission Against Corruption (New South Wales)|NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has investigated Faker, Shanks labelled him the Commission's 'white whale'.

### ICAC Investigations[edit]

#### Using taxpayer money to spy on opponents[edit]

In 2008, ICAC heard claims that Faker allegedly used thousands of dollars of taxpayer money to spy on rival candidates, including former Mayor of Burwood John Sidoti.[5] Disgraced former Labor Politician Sam Dastyari denied meeting with Faker about the alleged spying, and contradicted the evidence Faker gave to ICAC about the issue.

#### Using taxpayer money for childcare expenses[edit]

In 2011, ICAC investigated whether Faker inappropriately obtained reimbursements of childcare expenses that he incurred during his tenure as Mayor. Faker paid back $1730 worth of childcare expense to Burwood Council after ICAC investigated. [5]

#### Using taxpayer money for a trip to Lebanon with a property developer[edit]

In 2004 Faker used $4995 worth of taxpayer's money to go to a trip to Lebanon with a property developer.[6][1] He visited his family's hometown of Zhratagreen. The issue was referred to ICAC. Faker did not write an official council report of the trip and claimed he could not recall any of the meetings he had nor could he disclose the nature of his trip to the council's General Manager.

#### Using taxpayer money for home security system[edit]

In 2008 Faker used $22,798.60 worth of taxpayer money to install a security system in his own home. ICAC subsequently investigated whether Faker improperly obtained this security equipment. Faker claimed that the equipment was organised by the Council's General Manager at the time Mr Pat Romano and that he did not know that doing so was against the rules. Faker paid the council back for the equipment.[7]

### Faker's connection to Urban Link and alleged breach of Labor Party rules[edit]

In 2017 the Sydney Morning Herald reported that a company named Urban Link designed over 40 per cent of the city of Burwood's significant residential projects - comprising apartment blocks, units, boarding houses and townhouses - that were approved in the two years to December 2016. [8] In July and October of 2020 Faker then declared a conflict of interest to Burwood Council stating that his family use Urban Link to develop properties. In 2022 international journalist and You-Tuber Jordan Shanks-Markovina revealed that Faker's wife Julie Faker and family member Chemel Faker were property developers that have worked with Urban Link. Shanks-Markovina claimed this appears to breach the rules of the Australian Labor Party. [1]

### Connections to notable figures[edit]

#### Eddie Obeid and Ernest Wong[edit]

Former Labor powerbroker and convicted criminal Eddie Obeid is a member of John Faker's family.[1] In 2016 the Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation|ABC reported that disgraced former Chinese-Australian Labor Party politician Ernest Wong become close with John Faker, and that Faker introduced Wong to Obeid.[9] In 2014 the Newcastle Herald reported that there was concern in the Labor Party and elsewhere over Faker's connection to Obeid. [10]

#### Tom Kotsimbos[edit]

In his 2022 video titled friendlyjordies Attacks Labor international journalist and You-Tuber Jordan Shanks-Markovina revealed that Faker's father Assad Faker was a client of infamous accountant Tom Kotsimbos. [1] Kotsimbos has worked with several Australian underworld figures including Tony Mokbel, Mick Gatto, Hells Angels leaders Stephen "Stiffy" Rogers and Peter "Skitzo" Hewat and gangland figure Fedele "Freddy the Bear" D'Amico. [11]

#### Sam Dastyari[edit]

In 2011 John Faker told ICAC that he was friends with Sam Dastyari, a disgraced former Australian politician that resigned due to his involvement in the Chinese Influence Scandal. Faker stated he discussed spying on political opponents with Dastyari, which Dastyari denied. [12]

### Employment as a Property Consultant[edit]

In 2020 the ABC reported that Faker declared he worked for a property investment company and received rent from almost a dozen investment properties in Croydon_Park,_New_South_Wales|Croydon Park. [13] The ABC piece was about NSW local councils failing to comply with transparency rules. In his 2022 video titled friendlyjordies Attacks Labor international journalist and You-Tuber Jordan Shanks-Markovina claimed that this appears to show Faker breached the rules of the Australian Labor Party. [1]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 friendlyjordies Attacks Labor, retrieved 2022-01-25
2. ↑ Mcclymont, Kate (2011-04-01). "Corruption cloud hangs over mayor of Burwood". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
3. ↑ Visentin, Jacob Saulwick, Lisa (2018-04-20). "Graft, favours, bullying and barbecues at Canterbury Council". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
4. ↑ ""Faceless men": Burwood Mayor John Faker takes a swipe at Labor Party powerbrokers". The Daily Telegraph. October 24, 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Corruption cloud hangs over mayor of Burwood". Sydney Morning Herald. May 10, 2006. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
6. ↑ Clennell, Anne Davies and Andrew (2006-05-10). "Cleared of corruption: verdict on Burwood". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
7. ↑ "Merge mayor Angelo Tsirekas urges rigorous corruption inquiry". The Australian. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
8. ↑ Visentin, Lisa (2017-01-16). "The architecture firm cashing in on Burwood's property boom". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
9. ↑ "Political donations: Former NSW Labor powerbroker calls for an end to the funding arms race". ABC. 19 Sep 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
10. ↑ "Jodi McKay wont parachute into the seat of Strathfield at next years NSW state election". Retrieved 11 July 2021.
11. ↑ Vedelago, Chris (2015-01-03). "Tom Kotsimbos has created thousands of companies from his Melbourne office". The Age. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
12. ↑ Mcclymont, Kate (2011-04-01). "Corruption cloud hangs over mayor of Burwood". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
13. ↑ "NSW Government concerned by Sydney councils failing to comply with transparency rules". ABC. 9 Aug 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2021.

## External links[edit]

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