Shoalhaven Action Campaign

Media Release - 9 September 2008
Over the last year or so Mayor Watson has regularly claimed that various sections of the media are biased against him and his political party – the Shoalhaven Independents Group. This alleged bias has come from presenters on radio stations 2ST and local ABC and the local newspaper the South Coast Register. Most recently he claimed that a local community newspaper, the New Bush Telegraph, is biased against him and his party. The Mayor took legal action to try and prevent distribution of that newspaper.

On the Morning program on radio 2ST, on 9 September 2008, during a discussion with presenter Murray Peters, Mayor Greg Watson claimed that the South Coast Register, and its editor, had joined forces with the Shoalhaven Action Campaign to discredit the Mayor and his colleagues in the Shoalhaven Independents Group.

The Shoalhaven Action Campaign absolutely rejects this claim. Other than providing media releases, to express a valid viewpoint, the Shoalhaven Action Campaign has no relationship with the South Coast Register, it’s editor or any other media outlet.

Mayor Watson’s claim should not be seen as surprising. It is commonplace for the Mayor to claim that people who persist in asking inconvenient questions are biased or are engaged in mud slinging or character assassination. That seems to be his preferred technique to avoid answering questions. It also provides a possible rationale for the Mayor’s support for Council advertising in The Mail. This is widely seen as a vehicle for Council propaganda. Several candidates for the Council election (including some on the Mayors team) have placed advertisements in The Mail which breach the Electoral Act.