Dumped ALP candidate blames naivety

DUMPED federal ALP candidate Jeffrey Salvestro-Martin says naivety and inexperience has landed him before the NSW corruption commission.

Mr Salvestro-Martin was disendorsed as Labor's candidate for the northwest Sydney seat of Bennelong after he was called before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

He and others at Ryde Council are accused of accepting undisclosed political donations in the form of free advertising ahead of local government elections last September.

Mr Salvestro-Martin on Friday produced a summary of account statements that he said showed he had paid for a number of ads in a local newspaper, The Weekly Times.

But Assistant Commissioner Theresa Hamilton told him the documents only showed that "someone" had paid for the ads.

Asked why he would have used his personal MasterCard or cheques rather than his campaign fund to pay for advertising, Mr Salvestro-Martin blamed his "naivety, my fault, my inexperience".

Mr Salvestro-Martin, who until this week had Labor's backing to run for John Howard's former seat of Bennelong, told the inquiry he had limited political experience.

The 2012 local government election was the first time he had run at the top of a political ticket, he said.

"As second on a ticket (at the previous election), I was always instructed as to what to do and how to do it," he said.

The inquiry has also heard Mr Salvestro-Martin was aware of "inducements" or "implied threats" directed to the council's acting general manager Danielle Dickson.

She'd been handed control over whether council would pay legal costs in a Supreme Court action relating to the ousting of former general manager John Neish.

But a phone call intercepted days before the costs decision was delegated to Ms Dickson reveals Ryde mayor Ivan Petch told Mr Salvestro-Martin he was planning to "give her a good firm talking to".

"(I'll) say 'Listen, a lot of people have been watching - the majority of council have been watching - how you handle the matter'," Mr Petch said.

"'And if you ever want to be the general manager of this place, I'd tread very carefully if I were you'."

Counsel assisting the commission Jason Downing said Mr Petch's plans to take Ms Dickson aside were "grossly improper".

"But at the time, you made no comment other than suggesting that you absolutely agree," he told Mr Salvestro-Martin.

The inquiry continues.

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