COMPARING an Albury councillor to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler during the heat of an election campaign was bound to be contentious.
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Deputy mayor David Thurley became part of an internet parody video posted by Lovebasketballalbury at the weekend.
It involved a scene from the movie Downfall set in Hitler’s bunker being fashioned to appear as though the subtitles from the Fuhrer were coming from Cr Thurley.
He was agitated at the proposal for freely accessible basketball courts made by councillors Kevin Mack and Darren Cameron.
This is not the first time the scene has been appropriated, indeed Cr Mack was lampooned in a 2014 version tied to his use of a Jeep when he was mayor.
Cr Mack was not amused then and neither is Cr Thurley now.
That is fair enough, no reasonable person would want to be compared to the anti-Semitic dictator responsible for millions of deaths during World War II even if it is in comedic form.
The Lovebasketballalbury Facebook account has disappeared and no doubt those behind the mocking will revel in the anonymity of their lark.
Among the most biting of the satirical suggestions in the video was that Cr Thurley is a closet Greens candidate.
That brings us to a point being made by Cr Cameron that election candidates should clearly identify their political affiliation when standing for council.
While Cr Thurley dismisses the suggestion he is a Green and has never belonged to that political party, his colleagues Alice Glachan and Ross Jackson are in a different league.
The former mayor has long been involved in the Liberal Party but has traded on independent status when running for council in recent years, while Cr Jackson stood for the Labor Party at the last NSW election.
Cr Glachan argues that the Liberal Party decided not to run a formal ticket at the 2016 poll and other members of her team do not belong to the conservative group.
It is often argued major political parties should not be part of local government.
In reality council is not that different to other levels of government with allegiances to Labor, Liberal, Nationals or the Greens not uncommon.
Indeed Indigo Shire has members of all those groupings on its council.
Voters should not be treated like mugs and council candidates should be open about their party membership.