Huon Valley Guessing Games: Council’s Big Brother machine is poised to tighten further its squeeze on councillors’ rights to freedom of expression. At tonight’s (April 18) council meeting, a recommendation relating to ‘Councillor portfolio protocols’ will include these words (under the heading ‘Portfolio holders and the media’ — http://www.huonvalley.tas.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/15_009_Councillor_Portfolio_Protocols.pdf):
• Portfolio holders (utilising the council’s community relations officer) may issue media releases as long as the content of those releases is consistent with council policy and council decisions. The mayor is to be advised of all such releases provided to the media.
• All media contact must be undertaken through the council’s community relations officer — portfolio holders are not to contact media outlets directly.
• Portfolio holders should not to (sic) media requests without prior discussion and with the approval of the mayor.
• Councillors must disclose their participation in any media or communications events to the general manager even if they were not attending in their capacity of portfolio holder for the specific subject.
• Portfolio holders must also advise the community relations officer when providing articles for websites or establishing a Facebook or Twitter account.
• Copies of all media statements are to be circulated to all councillors.
• The council will provide media training to councillors.
I wonder if real estate salesman mayor Robert Armstrong realised he was putting himself above his mere-mortal fellow councillors when, a few weeks ago, he spoke against the Huon Valley Environment Centre and forest-protection activists as he toadied favour with demonstrating forestry workers. I doubt that the thought of communicating with his council’s community relations officer even entered his head.
Yet — whatever he may have said — he was entitled to that right to express his feelings. Mayor Armstrong is a free citizen, as is every other elected member of the council. Which means the only constraint on their utterances should be imposed by the laws of the land, not sinister council rules designed to keep the public in the dark.
Australia has a great tradition relating to freedom of speech. In its laws are largely sensible constraints upon what people may or not say. Those laws are more than adequate to cover the utterances of any representative elected by the public, at any level of government.
It is sad to see Mayor Armstrong and General Manager Glenn Doyle setting themselves up as the local sheriffs (I haven’t yet worked out which one is deputy).
