Socialist Alliance (SA) filed a complaint with the Victorian Police and the Victorian Electoral Commission on October 1 over its candidates鈥 election posters being repeatedly damaged in one of the wards it is contesting in the City of Greater Geelong Council.
Tim Gooden told 一品探花 that a supporter of Eddy Kontelj, a candidate for the Hamlyn Heights ward, had repeatedly removed, cut, burned and graffitied s posters at the Hughes Street shops in Bell Park.
Gooden, as SA鈥檚 authorising agent, has reported who he believes has carried out the malicious damage.
鈥淚鈥檝e had enough of other candidate鈥檚 supporters damaging our signs, especially Angela Carr鈥檚 in the Hamlyn Heights ward.
鈥淎ngela is the only woman candidate in that ward and to have her 鈥榝ace鈥 slashed, burned and graffitied is quite disturbing,鈥 Gooden said. 鈥淚t is also terrible that someone is walking around the streets with a big knife and barbeque lighter slashing and burning election posters.鈥
Carr is a community activist and has been leading several campaigns, including to defend the public library and to stop a聽proposed waste-to-energy incinerator.
angela_carr_in_hamlyn_heights.jpg
Gooden said it was a basic democratic principle that all candidates be allowed to participate freely in the election process, and that includes advertising themselves and their policies.
He said even Stretch Kontelj, who is running in Kardinia Ward as an independent, went so far as to post a reward in the Geelong Advertiser to try and prevent his election material being defaced and bring the perpetrators to justice.聽
鈥淓nough is enough! The authorities have to act,鈥 Gooden said.