Howdy and welcome to the blog and a re-count of one of the most bizarre exchanges I've ever had...with anyone...(and you've had some angry, angry people spitting their vitriole in your face-Ed)...well, usually down the phone, but quite...but today's little effort from the ABCs Stuart Stansfield is a gold-plated classic...if it weren't so very serious it would be achingly hilarious.
Apologies for shunting the Independent Commission Against Corruption post, but whatta' ya' do? And actually it relates directly to the ICAC because that is why I was at the ABC Mt Gambier office, delivering a copy of the ICAC letter covered in the last 3 posts. I also took a copy to The Border Watch newspaper.
This is not an act of intimidation or harassment, I simply wanted to make sure that those copies were physically in those offices so that no-one can deny that they are aware of the alleged ICAC investigation re Mt Gambier City Council and the ludicrous outcome, exonerating Council of pretty much anything and/or everything.
Given the continuous criticisms and allegations that have plagued Council re the Main Corner and Old Hospital Demolition..(you mean that you've plagued them with-Ed)...well, largely, but there have been others calling for an Audit of the Main Corner, even via The Border Watch, eg, even columnist Graham Greenwood who is a fierce supporter of Council...(true, true-Ed)...given the public interest in this story I have taken it to the local media as such.
(But that letter says that you're wrong, the supposed ultimate authority in the state says you're wrong, about basically everything that you've ever blogged...why would you hand it to these people who are just looking for an excuse to give you a supposedly justifiable public booting?-Ed)...exactly...this is without question one of the biggest news stories in the South East outside of the bushfires in Ngarkat National Park...(waaah?-Ed).
Well, this is 100% a genuine public interest story that shows Mt Gambier City Council to be completely without fault across a series of controversial issues...(absolutely, I concur-Ed)...and I've always said that if I'm wrong I'll publicly apologise and withdraw my claims...(true-Ed)...and I'm currently banned off ABC Talkback Radio and out of TBW...(also true-Ed)...so it is encumbent of me to make the media aware of this critical issue...(fair enough-Ed)...but I can't wait to see how they handle it without giving me a mention.
(Ahh, so providing this letter is the responsible and correct thing to do...the fact that the ABC and TBW will find it so problematic is just a pleasant bonus-Ed)...exactly...let's see how their collective commitment to trying to cut me out of the local media and therefore limit my influence fairs up against the
public interest and right to know and this opportunity to concurrently trash me whilst praising up Council...(fascinating-Ed)...oh I've not started yet.
When I went into the ABC Studio/office I stood at the counter and there was Stuart Stansfield right across the room talking to a couple of others, and there was a woman with her back turned at the desk just in front of me...she was just turning to talk to me when Stuart broke off from his huddle, came round the desks, and approached the 'service window'...I was expecting a terse 'whatta' you want' or something similar but Stuart opened with "Please leave the building"...(no?-Ed)...dead set.
I hadn't actually opened my mouth yet, he just went straight off the deep end...I said, "What?', and he repeated himself 'leave the building'...(and so much anger, so much rage-Ed)...yeah, he's mighty tough from the other end of a phone line or the other side of a counter...anyhoos, I asked "why?"...no response, just "I've told you to leave the building."
Whilst I was obviously shocked by this extraordinary conduct, I remained calm and stated directly to Stuart that he needed to find some other place to deal with his issues...no yelling, no threats, no nothing...just you've got a problem Stuart and you need to sort it out and this isn't the place to do it...he responded with "I'm calling the police" and moved to the nearest desk and picked up the phone, "I've told you to leave the building".
So I said "OK I'm leaving, I'm just here to drop off this letter from the ICAC about City Council corruption"..."Just leave it and get out, I'm calling the police."...(you know if I hadn't been there I'd struggle to believe it-Ed)...fair enough...anyway, he threatened me a third time "I'm calling the police". "I'm dialling" said Stuart, and he waved his hand at the phone, "Get out of the building"...so I said "go ahead, I'll wait here" and just addressed the woman
sitting there, "Excuse me miss, I have this letter about the ICAC and
Council" and placed the copy on their side of the reception desk...
I was talking to the woman who was now facing me, when Stuart repeated his 'police threat' again, put the phone down, stepped across, and vehemently slammed shut the sliding glass window on the counter...but not before some bearded clown sitting there, whom I've never met before and therefore has no idea what he was involved in, stated dismissively to me, "Ah, just get out (mate?)"...(quite extraordinary-Ed)...
With the thick window slammed shut I don't know if they could hear me, but Stuart went back to the phone, and I said "I'll just wait outside" (for the police)...(and you did, didn't you?-Ed)...absolutely...(and the letter?-Ed)...was shut on their side of the window...(hilarious-Ed).
The whole exchange took approx 45 seconds...I was at the counter for approx 10 seconds before Stuart even opened his mouth...it took him less than 10 seconds to threaten me with the police, had the phone in his hand moments later...had slammed the window shut within another 10, and then I walked out...45 seconds is probably being generous...it was clearly a prepared strategy.
I went back across the road to my car and made a couple of quick phonecalls just in case the cops did show up and try and arrest me...but I stayed there, standing on the footpath, and waited...4-5 minutes later a police car cruised past headed south and the sole occupant was on his mobile phone and looking at me as he rolled by...rolled past, up over the rise, and gone...(could be a coincidence...maybe Stuart never called-Ed)...maybe...I waited another 5 minutes, nothing happened, so I took the letter around to TBW.
There is no doubt that Stuart had sought and/or received instruction as to how to try and discredit me, manufacture an 'incident', and possibly get me arrested...(are you sure?-Ed)...absolutely...'please leave' was the first thing he said, followed by 'I've told you to leave', and immediately into 'I'm calling the police'...and he kept repeating 'I've told you to leave'...establish the command, repeatedly identify the failure to follow that command, call the police...(strewth, you're right-Ed).
It was a deliberate construct that he had ready to go for just such an occasion, designed to deny me any opportunity to engage in whatever issue by opening with the command to leave, and then seconds later 'I've told you to leave'...which then justifies the "I'm calling the police"...and boy was he an angry little bunny.
And this is the exact sort of public abuse that the Lutherans visited on myself and other parents in public...it is designed to infer a fault in and/or potential threat from the person being abused...any 'ignorant' third parties, such as those in the ABC office, have seen their boss go instantly nutso at the large man at the counter, demanding he leave the building...surely that large man must be guilty of something and/or potentially dangerous, etc, for this supposedly respected public figure to react so vehemently and quickly.
It is an old strategy that I have had used against me many times, eg, Mayor Steve Perryman berating me and abusing me and trying to pick fights with me at the Council Budget Consultation Meetings last year...and how'd that work out for ya' Steve?...'cause I see those little old ladies and gentlemen in the street and they smile and say hello...it wasn't me that ended up looking like an idiot.
In conclusion, merely for speaking the truth, I am now banned off ABC TalkBack Radio, banned from TBW, and I guess, banned from the ABC Studio/office...(oh good work...how to make friends and influence people-Ed)...I may not be making any friends, but by crikey I'm sure as heck influencing their behaviour...can you imagine Stuart behaving like that toward anyone else?...(no, no I cannot...you really are quite special-Ed)...well thankyou Ed, but again it's not specifically about me, rather what I'm saying...attacking me like this is the only defense when confronted with the indefensible.
I'll finish here but I'm sure there's more to come re this little incident...
Tomorrow: ICAC, Housekeeping, and Feedback
And stuff...I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters.
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