Socialist Alliance (SA) filed a complaint with the Victorian Police and the Victorian Electoral Commission on October 1 over its candidates’ election posters being repeatedly damaged in one of the wards it is contesting in the City of Greater Geelong Council.
Tim Gooden told Green Left that a supporter of Eddy Kontelj, a candidate for the Hamlyn Heights ward, had repeatedly removed, cut, burned and graffitied SA candidate Angela Carr’s posters at the Hughes Street shops in Bell Park.
Gooden, as SA’s authorising agent, has reported who he believes has carried out the malicious damage.
“I’ve had enough of other candidate’s supporters damaging our signs, especially Angela Carr’s in the Hamlyn Heights ward.
“Angela is the only woman candidate in that ward and to have her ‘face’ slashed, burned and graffitied is quite disturbing,” Gooden said. “It is also terrible that someone is walking around the streets with a big knife and barbeque lighter slashing and burning election posters.”
Carr is a community activist and has been leading several campaigns, including to defend the public library and to stop a proposed waste-to-energy incinerator.
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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.
“Enough is enough! The authorities have to act,” Gooden said.