Candidate fights tax fraud past

Council candidate Carl Wheeler says he will “battle on” with his bid for a spot on the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River council despite revelations this week he served 18 months in prison for defrauding the Australian Tax Office. Mr Wheeler acknowledged the news “would not go down well” with voters. He said the charges were from a tax office investigation 20 years ago which led to the initial “severe” 3½-year prison term. Mr Wheeler was sentenced in the District Court on October 10, 2008 for defrauding the tax office of more than $450,000 over a period of years. As the managing director of Floreat Meat Exports Pty Ltd at the time, Mr Wheeler was caught after a long investigation which showed he failed to declare his true income in his personal and company tax returns, while personal expenses such as renovations to his home went through the company’s accounts as business expenses. The company was voluntarily deregistered in 2019. The Local Government Act 1995 does not preclude Mr Wheeler from standing for election. Prisoners serving current sentences were ineligible for candidacy, while a person convicted of a serious local government offence within the past five years or who had previously been sentenced to jail for more than five years were disqualified. “It was a very heavy sentence I had,” Mr Wheeler told the Times. “I lodged an appeal.” He believed he was “too honest” with the ATO. Mr Wheeler said he appealed to WA’s Supreme Court, but was eligible for parole at the same time the appeal became mired in the court process. He opted instead to accept the parole and aimed to put the past behind him. “My conscience is completely clear,” he said. “I can make a good contribution to this area with my background.” Mr Wheeler’s resume boasts 40 years in agricultural exports, but he previously did not name his past business or employers. Originally from Sheffield in England, he moved to Australia with his then-wife in 1987. The couple later divorced, and he moved to Margaret River three years ago after the end of his second marriage.