March 16, 2016
Cr Barry Green has issued a withering blast against the South Burnett Free Press and anyone associated with it, describing the publication as “despicable”, “scurrilous” and “a mongrel act”.
Cr Green, who will be retiring soon, was speaking at Wednesday’s South Burnett Regional Council meeting about an attack launched on Cr Ros Heit in a new edition of the publication, which was distributed to mailboxes around the region over the past few days.
“Ros is one of the most inspirational women that I have ever met,” Cr Green said.
“And to put in print what these people seem necessary to do is unbelievable.”
Cr Green was responding to an anonymous letter in the publication which questioned Cr Heit’s health and honesty.
Cr Heit, who has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer over the past six months, successfully concluded her treatment earlier this year without missing a single Council meeting or any of her other Council duties.
“We have been continuously told not to react, and that’s probably good advice because if you don’t give things oxygen they will probably die,” Cr Green said.
“But I just couldn’t let this go.
“I walked into the office on Monday morning and one of the managers there, Nerida, said to me have you read this? And I said no and she told me what they’d written regarding Ros and I took great offence to that.
“And I don’t care who knows it.”
Mayoral candidate Grant Newson, who was attending the meeting as a volunteer reporter for the Burnett Free Press, sat silently through Cr Green’s blast, his face appearing to redden as Cr Green’s emotional tirade continued.
But two other people in the public gallery – Division 1 candidate Caroline Haskard and an unidentified woman who called out “f**k you, Barry!” – left the Town Hall shortly after Cr Green delivered his speech.
Mr Newson and Ms Haskard – both members of Nanango & Districts SBRAG – have been listed as Burnett Free Press’ preferred candidates for the Saturday, March 19 Council elections along with Mayoral candidate Michael Brown, Division 2 candidate Liz-Hollens Riley, Division 3 candidate Stan Corbett and Division 6 candidate Uwe (Tom) Nowack.
The newsletter is also being distributed on Windera resident Ralph Percy’s South Burnett Council Watch website and Facebook page.
southburnett.com.au is not alleging that any of these people were responsible for the anonymous article about Cr Heit.
Cr Heit later said she felt the publication was highly defamatory, and would seek legal advice.
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Raw audio: Part of Cr Green’s speech
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Cr Heit said the comments printed in the Burnett Free Press could terrify some people.
“Cancer treatments and outcomes have come a long way in recent decades,” she said.
“By saying everyone who has cancer ‘probably won’t make the next few years’ is going to terrify anyone who is unlucky enough to get a cancer diagnosis.
“The facts are that one in eight women will get breast cancer but with modern treatments nearly 90 per cent will be fine.
“I have had excellent medical care and my doctors are confident that it will not recur.
” How would a woman diagnosed today feel if she read that because of breast cancer she probably wouldn’t last long!”
Cr Heit also referred to a post she had seen on Facebook which indicated the same thing was being said face-to-face:
“A bloke was door-knocking to drum up support for the Div 6 hopeful and said to the homeowner that he shouldn’t vote for the incumbent, Ros Heit because she has cancer and probably won’t last the full term … Decency, people, decency.”
Comments on the post included:
“I had the awful misfortune of glancing my eyes over a ‘trash bit of paper’ today in our junk mail stating the same sad subject as mentioned here. Ros Heit it actually nearly bought me to tears knowing we have such low disrespecting members living right here in our South Burnett”
“Some people need to learn the difference between the right to free speech and telling lies! Let’s hope the liars get the number of votes they deserve !”
“That is distasteful and disgusting behaviour.”
