NSW: France Arena ends her political career with no regrets

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-1999
NSW: France Arena ends her political career with no regrets

By Cydonee Mardon

SYDNEY, April 13 AAP - Anti-paedophile crusader France Arena today tearfully conceded her
controversial political career was over with the loss of her seat in the New South Wales
parliament.

Although upper house results from the March 27 election would not be finalised for some
weeks, the former Labor turned independent MP said she had failed to win a Legislative Council
seat and did not want to prolong the agony.

"I'm very sad and disappointed to finish my political career but it's been an honour and a
privilege to be in parliament for such a long time," a tearful Mrs Arena told journalists.

"It is time to go, the results, the final results won't be ready until the end of the month
but I did not prolong the agony, and I felt it was better to go now," she said.

"I have no regrets whatsoever, I am pleased ... there is a lot more awareness about the
issue of paedophilia in our community now than there ever was."

Mrs Arena said she was aware of the difficulties she faced going into an election with her
newly formed party, The Franca Arena Child Safety Alliance.

The large number of parties contesting the election, the size of the ballot paper and lack
of media coverage were partly to blame for the party's demise, she said.

"Our biggest task was actually manning polling booths and I think that was a crucial thing,
there are over a thousand in New South Wales and we're hardly able to man a 100.

"The fact there was also so many other parties made it difficult for people to find us, but
we accept the result and that's it," she said.

Mrs Arena was first elected to the NSW Legislative Council in 1981.

In 1996, retired NSW Supreme Court judge David Yeldham committed suicide four days after
Mrs Arena named him in parliament in relation to paedophile inquiries.

The next year she resigned from the ALP after alleging political leaders were covering up
for paedophiles.

She had used parliamentary privilege to accuse Premier Bob Carr, Justice James Wood, then
Opposition Leader Peter Collins and senior ALP figures of involvement in a conspiracy to hide
the identities of powerful paedophiles.

Mrs Arena escaped suspension from parliament despite the recommendation of the
parliamentary ethics committee and in December last year formed her own political party.

While agreeing the past two years had taken their toll both professionally and personally,
Mrs Arena said she was proud of her achievements in raising community awareness of
paedophilia.

"Even though they've been the most difficult two years of my political career, they've also
been the most rewarding.

"And I felt that I really did something which was useful to the community and was very
important," she said.

Mrs Arena said she had no plans for the future at this stage but would pursue "good causes"
as a community activist.

AAP cmm/sb/maur

KEYWORD: ARENA NIGHTLEAD

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