A STORM has erupted on social media over remarks made by Leticia Laing, clearly directed at one of her eight opponents in the Bunurong ward election, former South Gippsland Shire Councillor Meg Edwards.
Responding to a post by Inverloch resident Paul Cross, on Inverloch Community Voice Facebook page, in which he put forward his “perception as to what politics each of the new candidates support”, Ms Laing noted that he’d forgotten to mention the councillors nominating.
“FYI I'm a member of the ALP but not endorsed and receive no campaign funds from the party. If anyone has any more questions feel free to give me a call,” said Ms Laing, adding her phone number and email address.
But Cr Laing went further.
“You may want to ask your candidates if they've ever been in a Council that was sacked. I haven't.”
In fact, very few Victorian councils have ever been sacked, and locally, it is well known that the South Gippsland Shire Council was sacked in June 2019, and the shire spent a number of years under commissioners’ rule until new elections were held in October/November 2021.
The only person Cr Laing could have been referring to was Meg Edwards, and she confirmed that later in an apology of sorts.
In fact, Ms Edwards was not “in a Council that was sacked”.
After accepting endorsement by the Liberal Party to stand as a candidate for the Legislative Council in Eastern Victoria, ahead of the November 24, 2018 election, Ms Edwards initially requested a leave of absence from the November 2018 meeting.
However, after the resignation from council of her colleague Maxine Kiel on September 26, 2018, citing “continual harassment by fellow councillors”, Ms Edwards decided to follow suit.
“I resigned for two reasons, one was to do with being endorsed as a candidate in the state election, the other was because I would have been missing from the November meeting when the mayoral vote was coming up, and I thought that by resigning, it might stop the wrong person being elected as mayor.
“I also stand by the statement that I made at the time,” Ms Edwards said.
Among other things, her resignation statement said:
“Just because someone doesn’t make or pursue a formal complaint process of bullying, intimidation and harassment does not mean it isn’t happening,” she said, referring to the abuse and harassment she had copped, especially by email, making her position on council untenable.
Ms Edwards resigned, effective October 30, 2018, but the council wasn’t sacked, by an Act of Parliament, on June 21, 2019 after months of attempts at council reform by government-appointed moderators.
Ms Edwards was never “in a Council that was sacked”, as stated by Ms Laing.
“I’m not going to bite back, but I’m not going to walk away either. If there’s one thing I learned from that time it’s that there’s no point turning the other cheek, that doesn’t stop them.”
Ms Edwards said she understood that people who stood for election were occasionally targeted by members of the public but she said she wouldn’t put up with it from other candidates.
“I’ll be reporting it to the Local Government Inspectorate and leaving it with them to deal with.”
The incident might however have its sequel at a “Meet the Candidates “ night being organised for Bunurong candidates on Sunday afternoon October 6.
Ms Laing has made an apology of sorts after the exchange brought an avalanche of criticism on social media.
“I am sorry. Meg Edwards resigned in October 2018 from a council that was sacked by the local government minister in June 2019.”
But it did little to placate the detractors.
- Leticia Laing – So, who’s the candidate that was sacked from another council and is now running for bass coast shire?? Meg resigned by the sounds of it because the harassment and bullying was coming from within.
- I’ve read something wrong if you’ve tried to throw someone under a bus.
- Leticia Laing GIVE UP!!! I think by the comments on here you have lost credibility.
- Leticia Laing - dirty politics by you Ms Laing. Meg was subjected to immense bullying by some members on the SG council and resigned prior to the sacking.
- Very poor form Leticia Laing to try to smear the character of a candidate. Meg Edwards was not on the council when it was sacked as she had resigned prior to that because of bullying within the council.
- Leticia Laing - why make a comment like this re a candidate having been in a Council that was sacked? If you are a current sitting Councillor in Bass Coast it's incumbent on you to act with respect in debates in the community.
- Leticia Laing responded: “I value truthfulness and I respect the community to be honest and open. Happy to chat further feel free to contact me my details are on my page Leticia Laing - Candidate for the Bunurong Ward, Bass Coast Shire.
- Megs husband Carl Talbot weighed in: Truthful??? You are outright lying. Meg was not sacked, she was one of the whistle blowers. You are demonstrating some nasty ignorance here. Meg resigned from South Gippsland Council the year before they were rightly sacked. She was the second of 5 fantastic Councillors to resign. There were 6 resignations in total - one was up on charges for unlicensed firearms and drug trafficking. Fact check, please. You have no idea what went on there. She was a member of the Liberal Party at the time which also during that state election had her sign a stat dec that she would resign from local government on the issuance of the writs.
In typical social media fashion, the whole exchange has developed a life of its own:
- Leticia Laing is part of the famous five that included Michael Whelan, David Rooks, Clare Le Serve and Geoff Ellis that voted for all Bass Coast Ratepayers to vote ‘Yes’ at the last Referendum that was thoroughly defeated when 65% of Bass Coast residents voted NO. Her ideology is completely wrong for Bass Coast where we need to get back to basics and not grandstand on woke rubbish. She also backed Michael Wheelan with his white elephant the Cowes Cultural Centre that is incomplete, costing this shire a fortune in interest repayments (and yes we are still paying megabucks on this), while in the meantime we have second rate sporting facilities and a crumbling sea shore. Time for a change. Vote Meg Edwards.
- Graham Jolly: Fact - Cr Leticia Laing at the 20 March 2022 supported Cr David Rooks who introduced an alternate motion to the council meeting recommending stopping Community Question Time at council meetings. The motion failed, however when voting to approve the reviewed Governance Policy Rules, Cr Leticia Laing, Cr David Rooks and the then Mayor Cr Micheal Whelan voted against the new rules. All 3 did not want Live Streaming of all council meeting at every council meeting. Other councillors voted as the majority to approve the Revised Governance Policy rules. You can watch the live streamed meeting on YouTube 20/7/2022. Go to the 59.22 minute and watch until the 1 hour 32 minute time.
Paul Cross, who started the exchange, and also endorsed Meg Edwards also weighted in:
- It’s time to throw out the dead wood. No more money and time wasting on ideology. No more cancelling ratepayers’ voices at meetings The councillors work for the ratepayers, we don’t work for the Councillors and their personal agendas. Clean slate, new start. Back to Basics.
