Racist leaflet' candidate folds up her career

[Kiwi]

Racist leaflet' candidate folds up her career

By Andrew Chesterton

January 13, 2008 01:00am

IT was a moment of stupidity unrivalled during the federal election that cost the Liberal Party the western Sydney seat of Lindsay.

Now the racist leaflet scandal has officially cost political aspirant Karen Chijoff her 20-year marriage - and her career.

"It's well and truly over," the former Liberal candidate said of her marriage to Greg Chijoff.

Mr Chijoff, along with former MP Jackie Kelly's partner Gary Clark and a group of Liberal Party volunteers, delivered a number of insulting brochures to homes in western Sydney.

The brochure, purporting to be from an Islamic group, encouraged Muslims to vote for Labor because the party supported forgiveness for the Bali bombers and would back any plans for a mosque in St Marys.

When the dust following the scandal settled, Gary Chijoff had resigned from the Liberal Party, two members had been expelled and three volunteers stood down.

NSW Police are investigating the leaflet scandal.

Ms Chijoff now faces the daunting prospect of rejoining the work force with few qualifications.

And she'll do so without the support of her husband, who is no longer welcome in her house.

"I used to work in computer programming, but that industry has just moved on so much now," she said. "I'd rather work with humans now, not machines."

Ms Chijoff concedes her time in the political spotlight is over.

When visited at her western Sydney home last week, the mother-of-two had just filled a skip bin with rubbish that included her campaign signs.

But Ms Chijoff hasn't ruled out an eventual return to politics. "I haven't turned my back on politics," she said.

"I haven't completely ruled out a return, but that would depend on the Liberal Party.

"They decide those things."

Ms Chijoff said she will enjoy a break before she starts the arduous task of applying for jobs.

"I'll wait until my kids are back at school," she said. "But once the holidays are over in February, I'll be looking for work."

Ms Chijoff continues to deny any knowledge of the leaflet campaign that derailed her career and ruined her marriage.

But she is under no illusion that it helped put an end to her political aspirations.

"I can categorically state that I had no knowledge of the leaflet campaign," she said.

"But the events of the week were partly responsible for the swing to Labor."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23042467-2,00.html