WHEN Wodonga ratepayers went to the polls last year few would imagine they would elect a councillor willing to tell them to f--- off.
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But that’s what they have in Tim Quilty, a former Liberal Democrats candidate for the federal seat of Indi.
The accountant took to his public Facebook account on Sunday to reinforce his three-pronged approach as a councillor.
Cr Quilty stated he was about reining in spending and keeping rate rises down and increasing council transparency.
He gave himself a B grade on those points, but he did not score himself on his third plank of always being “open and honest”.
Instead Cr Quilty referred to himself as a “grumpy politician” who has a strategy of “insult all the voters personally”.
He admitted he had not matched Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm who told a women’s rights activist to “STFU” on Twitter and The Chaser satirical team to “f--- off”.
“Give me time,” Cr Quilty wrote.
“Eventually someone will irritate me enough that I’ll tell them to f--- off.”
Comedy does not appear to be Cr Quilty’s forte, because not many would find it funny to be told to f--- off, particularly by someone elected to represent their city.
No doubt Cr Quilty, as a public figure, cops plenty of flak that’s not fit for this page.
But as a leading figure of Wodonga he should be capable of putting his arguments forward without descending to abuse and obscenities.
Surprisingly mayor Anna Speedie was unwilling to condemn Cr Quilty’s behaviour and would not directly answer a question about whether it was an appropriate use of a councillor’s webpage.
Not so a former mayor Ian Deegan who labelled it “totally inappropriate”.
“I know his heart is good but he’s got to harness his mouth,” Mr Deegan said.
Certainly, The Border Mail has no beef with Cr Quilty speaking his mind and keeping the public informed about council’s actions and his role in them.
We, along with much of Wodonga’s community, have long been concerned at the level of secrecy and lack of transparency within the council administration.
But threatening to tell a ratepayer to “f--- off” is churlish and should be beneath the dignity of a councillor.