Adele Carles

Adele Simone Carles (born 19 February 1968) is a former Australian politician. She was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 2009 to 2013, representing the electorate of Fremantle. She was initially elected as a Greens WA member at the 2009 Fremantle state by-election, becoming the first Greens candidate to be elected to an Australian state lower house of parliament in a single-member seat. However, she resigned from the Greens on 6 May 2010 to sit as an independent. In November 2010, Carles agreed to guarantee confidence and supply votes for the incumbent Colin Barnett Liberal minority government.[2][3] She ran for re-election as an independent at the 2013 state election, but was defeated, finishing fourth behind the Labor, Liberal and Greens candidates with 5.49% of the vote.

Adele Carles
Member of the Western Australian Parliament
for Fremantle
In office
16 May 2009 – 9 March 2013
Preceded byJim McGinty
Succeeded bySimone McGurk
Personal details
Born
Adele Simone Carles

(1968-02-19) 19 February 1968
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
CitizenshipAustralian
Political partyGreens Western Australia (until 2010)
Spouse(s)Francois Carles
Domestic partnerTroy Buswell (2010-2012)[1]
ProfessionLawyer

2008 state election

Carles, a solicitor before entering politics, was defeated in the 2008 state election. She polled 27.6% of the vote against Labor Attorney-General Jim McGinty (38.7%), marginally less than Liberal candidate Brian Christie (30.2%).[4]

2009 Fremantle by-election

In 2009, Carles was preselected by Greens WA to run again at the 2009 Fremantle state by-election following the retirement of McGinty. With the Liberals not contesting the election, Carles was rated a chance of becoming the first Greens candidate to be elected to an Australian state lower house of parliament in a single-member seat.[5]

Carles won the seat with 44.06% of the primary vote, ahead of Labor candidate and former Fremantle Mayor, Peter Tagliaferri, as well as receiving enough preferences from other candidates to gain an absolute majority of ballots cast.[6] This was the highest primary vote result for the Greens in a state or federal election in Australia, and the first time the Greens had outpolled all other parties on their primary vote. Their previous record vote was 38.96% in the 2005 Marrickville state by-election in New South Wales (also not contested by the Liberals).

Buswell affair

In April 2010, Carles publicly acknowledged that Liberal Treasurer Troy Buswell and herself had been engaged in a "mutual, albeit stupid" affair that lasted several months.[7] Carles had previously denied the affair despite persistent rumours, claiming to be a victim of a Labor smear campaign.[8]

On 6 May 2010, she resigned from the Greens to sit as an independent.[9]

In December 2012, Troy Buswell launched a $3 million defamation case against Carles in relation to allegations and counter-claims both made about Buswell's alleged lewd and drunken behaviour at the home of property developer Nigel Satterley in December 2011.[10][11]

At the 9 March 2013 state election Carles was defeated by Labor's Simone McGurk.[12] She finished second from last with only five percent of the primary vote.

References
General
  • "WA politics: the Buswell/Carles scandal". The Week (Australian edition, issue 75). 30 April 2010. p. 19.
Inline
  1. Spagnolo, Joe (12 May 2012). "It's all over for Adele Carles". PerthNow. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  2. Premier Barnett brokers 'secret deal' with Independent MP Adele Carles: PerthNow 6 November 2010
  3. "Ms Adele Simone Carles MLA BCom, LLB (Hons)". Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  4. "Western Australian Electoral Commission". Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
  5. 2009 Fremantle By-election - ABC Elections, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  6. 2009 Fremantle By-election - Results, Western Australian Electoral Commission
  7. "WA Greens MP Adele Carles admits affair with Treasurer Buswell". The Australian. 25 April 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  8. Perpitch, Nicolas (26 April 2010). "Sniffer's affair with Greens MP puts career as Treasurer in doubt". The Australian. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  9. "Carles walks out on Greens". The West Australian. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  10. Preston, Robyn (16 December 2012). "Defamation case is 'harassment'". WA Today. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  11. Preston, Robyn (10 December 2012). "Calls to sack Troy Buswell". WA Today. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  12. Robertson, Katie (10 March 2013). "Adele Carles in hiding, may run for mayor". Sunday Times. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Jim McGinty		 Member for Fremantle
2009–2013		 Succeeded by
Simone McGurk
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