Angelo Tsirekas

Angelo Tsirekas
3rd Mayor of Canada Bay
In office 17 September 2002 – 21 June 2016
Preceded by	Carmel Del Duca
Succeeded by	Helen McCaffrey
In office 9 September 2017 – 13 December 2023
Preceded by	Helen McCaffrey
Succeeded by	Michael Megna
1st Deputy Mayor of Canada Bay
In office 12 December 2000 – 17 September 2002
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Pauline Tyrrell
Personal details
Political party	Our Local Community (since 2021)
Other political affiliations	Labor (until 2021)

Angelo Tsirekas is an Australian politician who served as mayor of the City of Canada Bay in New South Wales from 2002 to 2016 and again from 2017 until he was sacked in 2023.[1]

Political career

Tsirekas became mayor of Canada Bay in 2002, and was re-elected in 2004, 2008 and 2012.[1]

In 2016, he was announced as the Labor Party candidate for Reid at the federal election, and subsequently resigned as mayor. He was unsuccessful, finishing with a two-party-preferred vote of 45.31%.[2]

Tsirekas was returned as mayor at the 2017 election with 54.9% of the vote after preferences.[3]

On 19 October 2021, Tsirekas joined Our Local Community after not being re-endorsed by Labor for the December election. He was re-elected, this time with 57.5% of the vote after preferences.[4]

ICAC investigation and dismissal

On 6 April 2022, it was announced Tsirekas was under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over allegations he accepted benefits from developer I-Prosperity Group in return for "favourable planning decisions" dating back to 2012.[5][6]

Tsirekas was suspended as mayor on 9 November 2023 after ICAC found he had engaged in corrupt conduct. It was found he received benefits including overseas flights and accommodation, worth at least $18,800, between 2015 and 2019.[7]

On 13 December 2023, Tsirekas was dismissed as mayor by Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig. He was banned from civic office for a period of five years.[8]

References

1. "Council Mayors". City of Canada Bay Heritage Society.
2. "Angelo Tsirekas: the boy from Kozani who wants to enter Australian politics". SBS Greek.
3. "Canada Bay". ABC News.
4. "Canada Bay". ABC News.
5. "Canada Bay mayor Angelo Tsirekas being investigated by ICAC". NCA NewsWire.
6. "Canada Bay Council Mayor Angelo Tsirekas suspended after corruption probe". The Australian.
7. "Corruption finding for long-time Sydney mayor". The Canberra Times.
8. "Sydney council mayor sacked and banned from civil office for five years over corruption findings". The Guardian.