Hajnal Ban

Hajnal Ban
Born Hajnal Ban
(1977-11-03) 3 November 1977
Afula, Israel
Pen name Sara Vornamen
Occupation Councillor (non-practising), author, politician
Nationality Australian
Citizenship Australian
Education BIntBus, LLB
Alma mater Griffith University
Notable works God Made Me Small, Surgery Made Me Tall
Spouse Sean Black (separated)
Children Dominic, Elijah (stepchildren)
Website
www.hajnalban.com

Hajnal Ban (also known as Hajnal Black) is an Australian author and right wing politician convicted of charges that prevent her being elected to public office until 2016.[1] She was elected 15 March 2008 a councillor for Logan City but was disqualified from 27 March 2012. Previously she was a councillor for the (now defunct) Beaudesert Shire Council from 27 March 2004. She was an unsuccessful National Party candidate for the federal seat of Forde, south of Brisbane, at the 2007 federal election. She won Liberal National Party selection for the newly created federal seat of Wright in November 2009 but subsequently lost endorsement following allegations that she mismanaged the funds of a 65-year-old man.[2] In 2002 she underwent surgery to increase the length of each leg by 8 cm. She published her experiences in the book God Made Me Small, Surgery Made Me Tall under the pseudonym Sara Vornamen. She also released a book called Her Secret.[3][4]

Early life

Hajnal Ban was born in Afula, Israel, to Hungarian parents.[5] Ban's grandfather was an Eastern European Jewish Holocaust survivor who moved the family to Israel in 1976 to escape communism.[6] The family moved to Austria in 1980 and then immigrated to Logan City, south of Brisbane, Australia in 1983. On gaining pre-selection for a Federal seat, Ban relinquished her Israeli citizenship as Section 44 of the Australian Constitution forbids the election of people holding dual citizenship to its parliament.

Education

Ban was educated at Marsden Primary School and then Marsden State High School in Logan City, graduating in 1995. After high school she entered Griffith University's law school and completed a double degree in Law and International Business. Ban was then admitted as a Barrister-at-Law in 2001.[6]

Leg lengthening surgery

In 2002 Ban undertook radical cosmetic surgery to gain 8 cm of height. She travelled to the Russian Ilizarov Scientific Center for Restorative Traumatology and Orthopaedics in Kurgan, Russia where she was operated on by Dr Constantine Novikov.[7][8]

Over a period of 5 months Ban was bedridden as her legs were lengthened. The process of lengthening took 12 months. She returned to Australia and talked to the media about her operation under the pseudonym Sara Vornamen in an attempt to hide her identity. Under the name 'Sara Vornamen' Hajnal Ban wrote a book about her surgery, God made me small, Surgery made me Tall.[9][10]

Brisbane's Courier-Mail revealed in April 2009 that Ban was actually Sara Vornamen.[11] Since that time Ban has received world wide attention for her surgery[12] and has been a commentator on issues from sex-discrimination to extra airline charges.[13]

Personal life

Ban made no secret of her relationship with Russell Tacon.[14]

Ban married Logan City Councillor Sean Black at Tamborine Mountain on 30 May 2010.[15] Black has acted as her campaign manager. She was known as Hajnal Black until they separated in mid-2012.[16]

Political career

2004 - 2008, Shire of Beaudesert Council

Hajnal Ban was first elected as Councillor for Division 4 in the former Shire of Beaudesert on 27 March 2004 at the age of 26 where she significantly outpolled her four male opponents.[17] She was the youngest ever councillor to be elected in the shire and the only barrister. She was elected to council as an independent and had no previous political party affiliation. She joined the National Party in 2006.

She was Chairperson of the Shire's Planning and Development Committee from April 2004, until December 2005 when she was removed from the post, a move spearheaded by Councillor John Fronis, over her opposition to the State's decision to designate the North McLean Enterprise Precinct in the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which would have placed heavy industry in the middle of her rural residential division.[18]

2007 Federal election

In the November 2007 Federal Election Ban stood as the National Party candidate for the seat of Forde.[19][20] Although she worked hard at her campaign[21] and was credited with achieving a larger than expected swing, Ban only achieved 12.2% of the primary vote.[22] The Forde electorate's voter base is heavily urban, so it was always unlikely the electorate would have voted for a National Party candidate over their urban Conservative sister party, the Liberals.

2008 Local Government Elections

In July 2007, the Queensland Labor Government announced widespread reform to local government. The major reform was to amalgamate many councils, and Beaudesert was included in the process. Half of the Shire was amalgamated with the Shire of Boonah to create the Scenic Rim Region while the other half was amalgamated with Logan City. Hajnal Ban's entire division was in the transferring area to be amalgamated into Logan City. Her division underwent significant change as it was merged with the neighbouring Division 5 (held by John Fronis, a Labor councillor) to form the new Logan City Division 11. Fronis and Ban subsequently contested the new division at the March 2008 elections, with Ban winning convincingly, even in areas where the Labor vote at state and federal elections has historically been high. Ban achieved 66.06% of the two-candidate-preferred vote to John Fronis' 33.94%.[23]

Post 2008 election

After her election to Logan City Hajnal Ban was elected Chairperson of the Community, Sport and Customer Services Committee but was removed from this position in May 2009 and replaced by a neighbouring urban based councillor, Phil Pidgeon, because of her strong and somewhat outspoken advocacy for the amalgamated areas she represents.[24]

Ban formed an alliance with the only other Logan City rural councillor, Sean Black, in late 2008. Together they formed a strong allegiance in council advocating and representing their similar constituencies. Ban and Black married in 2010.

2010 LNP candidacy for Wright

After questions were raised by Queensland’s Adult Guardian about her administration of an elderly man’s estate, the Liberal National Party revoked their endorsement of Ban as their candidate for the federal division of Wright on 7 June 2010.[25] The LNP claim the Adult Guardian’s questions were never disclosed in her vetting committee. Ban voluntarily surrendered her Power of Attorney on 2 July 2010 after which proceedings in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) were ceased.[26]

Ban hit out at the Liberal National Party for taking pre-emptive action against her despite tribunal matters being settled within a month. She went on to say men in the LNP hierarchy were never comfortable with a woman being preselected in a winnable seat.[27]

2012 Logan Council election

Ban originally nominated to run again as councillor for Division 11, but several weeks prior to the election she withdrew from the contest.[28]

Policies on gaming machines

Hajnal Ban is an anti-pokies campaigner and continues to advocate for the reduction in the number of gaming machines within the Logan City local government area.[29] Ban voted prominently in several ballots to remove Deputy Mayor of Logan, Russell Lutton, who is a pro-pokies councillor.[30][31][32][33] Lutton has since fought back criticising Ban, including references to her leg lengthening story.[9][34]

Criminal charges

In November 2011, Black faced criminal charges for allegedly breaching local government financial disclosure laws. In December 2011, a Brisbane judge found that she had failed to act properly on behalf of a dementia patient after the sale of his Park Ridge property south of Brisbane. The funds from the sale had been transferred into her own bank account instead of being held in a separate trust account.[35] Black lodged an appeal against the decision of the Supreme court in January 2012. She has had two warrants issued for her arrest in March 2012, for ignoring a court date and storming out of another.[36] On 27 March 2012 she was found guilty on four of the five charges, fined $3500 and ordered to pay costs of $5000 and had a conviction recorded.[37] In September 2012 the judge ruled that she was only entitled to $40 000 of the $700 000 that she took.[38]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Baskin, Brooke (27 March 2012). "Hajnal Black fined $5000 after being found guilty of four charges relating to pecuniary interests". couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  2. ↑ Sandy, Alison; Chalmers, Emma (7 June 2010). "Hajnal Ban's federal election bid in doubt after funds allegations". couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  3. ↑ http://www.borders.com.au/book/hajnal-ban-her-secret/7452437/
  4. ↑ http://www.hajnalban.com/node/22
  5. ↑ Vornamen, Sara (Hajnal Ban's pen name)(2003) God made small, surgery made me tall. Vornamen Enterprises
  6. 1 2 Laszlo, Dr Tanka (editor) (2005) Ausztralia es Uj-Zealand Magyar Vilaga (in English - Hungarians in the Australian and New Zealand part of the world). Panorama könyvek (in English - Panorama Books), pg 34 article titled Ban, Hajnal - Kepviselo, jogasz (in English political/representative) and Szeret masokon segiteni (in English - She likes to help others). This is a Hungarian written A-Z of notable Hungarians from around the world. This edition is for the Australia/New Zealand region ISBN 963-86689-0-3
  7. ↑ Vornamen, Sara (Hajnal Ban's pen name)(2003) God made small, surgery made me tall. Vornamen Enterprises, pg 19
  8. ↑ Who (18 May 2009) Extreme measures. Pacific Magazines, pg 24
  9. 1 2 Calligeros, Marissa (29 April 2009). "Big op overcomes small anxiety: Siberian surgeons add 8cms [sic]". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
  10. ↑ "God made me small, surgery made me tall". Times of India. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
  11. ↑ Sandy, Alison (29 April 2009). "Hajnal Ban has legs broken to be 8cm taller". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
  12. ↑ Tedmanson, Sophie (1 May 2009). "Australian councillor, Hajnal Ban, has legs broken to become taller". Times Online. London. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  13. ↑ Robertson, Josh (23 May 2009) Giving hot girls a leg up. The Courier Mail, pg 72
  14. ↑ "Hajnal Ban says she owes it all to mentor Russell Tacon". The Courier Mail. 4 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  15. ↑ Sandy, Alison (30 May 2010). "Hajnal Ban, Sean Black marry in Mt Tamborine ceremony". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
  16. ↑ "Former Logan City councillor Hajnal Ban back in court to defend spend". Courier-Mail. 20 July 2012.
  17. ↑ Flack, Mark (26 October 2007). Ban believes people contact is key to electoral success. Albert and Logan News, p. 14
  18. ↑ Waters, Brenton (12 December 2005) Ban-ished!. Jimboomba Times, pg 5
  19. ↑ Jacobson, Micheal (10–11 November 2007) "Long-standing MPs to sit out". Weekend Bulletin, pg 58
  20. ↑ Coorey, Phillip (26 October 2006). "Happy National breaks the mould". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  21. ↑ McKenna, Michael (21 November 2007). "Libs lose faith and turn to Nats". The Australian. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  22. ↑ "House of Representatives - Forde (2007 general election)". Australian Electoral Commission. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  23. ↑ "2008 Logan City - Councillor Election - Division 11". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  24. ↑ Fraser, Kelmeny (24 May 2009) Council bars rebels. The Sunday Mail, pg 39
  25. ↑ Maizey, Judith. "Hajnal Ban dropped by LNP". Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  26. ↑ Barrett, Rosanne (6 July 2010). "Ban attacks LNP over guardian case". The Australian. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  27. ↑ Fraser, Kelmeny (4 July 2010). "Dumped for being a woman, says Hajnal". The Sunday Mail (News Ltd), p. 10
  28. ↑ Bayfield, Jessica; Hunter-Nolan, Lesley (20 April 2012). "Hajnal Black bows out of Logan City Council election race in Division 11". couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  29. ↑ Maizey, Judith (16 June 2009). "Ban moves on Greenbank Tavern pokie plan". Albert & Logan News. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
  30. ↑ Barrett, Chris (29 April 2009). "Lions slot new venue into Queensland's poker machine capital". Brisbanetimes.com.au. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  31. ↑ Helbig, Koren (1 May 2009). "Council out on limb". Albert & Logan News. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  32. ↑ Lutton, Russell (16 March 2009). "Decision is about giving residents a choice". Logan City press release obtained from LCC website. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
  33. ↑ Davies, Hannah (4 March 2009). "Logan City moves to ban poker machines". Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
  34. ↑ Robertson, Josh (5 May 2009) Tall tales at Logan circus. The Courier-Mail, pg 38
  35. ↑ "Court rules against councillor in $1.3m dispute". ABC Online. 7 December 2011.
  36. ↑ "Hajnal Black on move to Brisbane Court of Appeal as warrant for her arrest remains active". Courier Mail. 19 March 2012.
  37. ↑ "Hajnal Black found guilty". Courier Mail. 27 March 2012.
  38. ↑ Keim, Tony (7 September 2013). "Hajnal Ban took $660,000 she was not entitled to, judge finds". heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 28 April 2013.

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