Blog Attacked!
Sue Brooks December 16th, 2010
I was surprised that in yesterdays Council Meeting Cr Muckan raised the issue of limiting the ability of any Councillor to operate a private blog. Cr Dalgleish supported some of Cr Muckans comments and made negative comments about blogs in general and Councillor blogs specifically. Apparently the problem as far as I can tell for Cr Muckan is that blogs contain personal comment about people and blurs the lines between a Councillors responsibilities as a Councillor versus a Councillors ability to express a personal opinion. Apparently there is some concern that I regurgitate public Council meetings and write about why I vote the way I do etc. I couldn’t help but believe the focus of the debate was directed at me as I am, to my knowledge, the only Fraser Coast Councillor with an active blog at this time.
I try to ensure that this blog maintains a standard where personal criticism is avoided and that topics and comments are focussed on issues not personalities. I also believe that many people can’t attend Council meetings for various reasons and that I should be free to write about Council meetings as long as I stick to facts and to the Councillor Code of Conduct and Local Government Act provisions etc.
I like using this blog as a communication tool. But it is a double edged sword as I suffer criticism for the things I sometimes write and can find my words coming back to haunt me well after they have been written. The fact that I can sometimes change my mind and that not every word we speak should alays be taken literally is sometimes forgotten. But I stand by what I say (I don’t go back and remove it from the blog when criticised) and defend the right of all politicians to speak frankly and forthrightly about life in general and their political life also. I am glad to report that freedom of speech was supported by the majority of Councillors and that my blog and other blogs live to blog another day. We did also adopt an amended Media Relations/Communications policy. (I forget its actual name…).
Yesterday saw the approval of the club house at Urangan, the Optus tower on the Bruce Highway, the Priority Infrastructure areas designated and sent on to the State Government, the Council draft submission to the Draft Regional Plan endorsed and discounts given to developers for shovel ready projects as well as two small developments being granted variations to their approvals. We also endorsed the process to propose to adopt the new Local Laws. I really hope that the community gets involved with the Local Law process and provides comment about them when they are released for comment. The Laws are very important as they regulate many of the activities that residents undertake during our day to day activities so it will be a matter of having your say or accepting what Council adopts. Public submissions will be called for early next year.
Well off to the Post Office finally…and to meet and listen to a State Government Minister this morning in Maryborough. Take care, Sue
