April 17th 2012

Page 1

Western Port

Features inside WELCOME TO SOMERVILLE

PAGES 30–31 FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT

PAGES 32–33 WESTERN PORT SCOREBOARD

PAGES 35–37

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Blues power

Matthew Robbins was one of the Hastings footballers who kick started their 2012 premiership campaign with a victory over Rosebud. On Saturday 28 April the Blues are hoping for a victory when they meet Sorrento in a replay of last year’s premiership. Read Toe Punt’s match reports and scores on Page 35. Picture: Andrew Hurst

‘Blog watch’ for elections By Jo Winterbottom COUNCILLOR Reade Smith has declared he will not run in the October council elections, but will conduct an internet-based campaign to scrutinise, criticise and expose candidates in the elections. In an email sent to all Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors and obtained by The News, Cr Smith stated: “I’m not running for council in October so my new blogg [sic], perhaps named, ‘watching the council watchers’ or ‘disclosing the behaviour of the unruly?’ (I’m sure I will come up with something a bit more witty!) will disclose to the world the behaviours and

statements of a few of those who think they are immune from criticism or the requirement to comply with social ethics and norms. Those who are running for council will receive the same treatment as I experience.” Cr Smith, who served three terms in Mt Eliza Ward before moving to Cerberus Ward, where he is completing his second term, was replying to Safety Beach “council watcher” Joe Lenzo in the aftermath of derogatory comments Cr Smith made about Hastings knitters on his own and other Facebook pages. Cr Smith has repeatedly described Mr Lenzo as “one of the local loony tunes [sic]”. Late last month The News reported

posts on the social networking site in which Cr Reade called Hastings knitters “marauding vandals”. “With adult ‘role models’ like this, no wonder the kids are running amok!” he stated. Later he added, “Hopefully the trouble maker/s will crawl back into their grave and let the WHOLE community enjoy themselves.” After the publication of his comments, he accused The News of hacking into his Facebook account, but all the information quoted was on publicly available pages. The only “hacking” done by The News was to type two words into the Google search engine: Reade Smith.

This led to Cr Smith’s Facebook entries. Cr Smith fell out with the craft group, based at Hastings Community House, amid claims he failed to support local projects. Shire mayor Cr Frank Martin said Cr Smith was one of several councillors to have a Facebook page and he was free to use it as he wished. “These pages have been established and are maintained by the individual councillor, without support or assistance from the shire, and are not monitored by shire officers,” Cr Martin said. “The views expressed by councillors on their private Facebook pages are their own personal views, and do not

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represent the views of the council.” Cr Martin did not answer questions from The News about whether councillors should be trained in media law and appropriate use of social media. Cr Smith has been known for his long email exchanges and says he has attended a social media workshop run by the Municipal Association of Victoria. In the above-mentioned email he goes on to explain: “I use Facebook as my temporary blogg [sic], after being shown how to do so at an MAV conference, it is one of my tools to speak with my community ... are you now trying to gag my right to ‘freedom of speech’?”

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