6 August

Comments by a Bathurst councillor last night calling out misinformation and disinformation movements, referring to a program on ABC’s Compass. This is the issue of our time, the Trumpian populist tricks that shock jocks have used on radio for decades and have now moved into the centre of politics, the generation of continuous outrage to drum up listeners, and now votes. “…it’s not about making you believe one thing. It’s about making you distrust everything…the continual reference to Bathurst Regional Council presenting flawed financial accounts, and ongoing criticism of the GM and the Directors for their perceived lack of influence on past decisions of Council, when that is not actually their role. Not in their job description. Council has been constantly blamed for financial mismanagement when a thorough fact-check of the situation would demonstrate that it is cost-shifting by the State, reduction of the Financial Assistance Grant by the federal government, the inadequate yearly rate increases set by iPart, and a myriad of other contributing factors…your outrage should be your gauge. That should be a flag that perhaps someone is trying to misinform you or direct you in a certain way.”