Adjudication No. 376 (July 1988) [1988] APC 23

ADJUDICATION No. 376 (July 1988)

Mrs Vera McLennan complained concerning two letters which were published in The Whitsunday Times newspaper on 16 March 1988. Mrs McLennan had been previously warned by the editor of another newspaper that these letters had been received and the other paper would not print them "knowing them to be incorrect"

Both letters related to Mrs McLennan's campaign for the local shire elections. Both were critical of Mrs McLennan. One stated "Worse, Vera has had a sad history of storming out of meetings if she is not getting her way. To my knowledge, while a councillor, Vera huffed her way out of meetings - one council meeting and others at which State Cabinet Ministers were present."

The other letter read:

During her term 1982-1985 Vera was unable to control her emotions and walked out of important conferences.

One of those conferences was when Cr Glen Patullo was lobbying two State Government ministers for funds for a passing lane for Proserpine town. This was achieved. However Vera lost her composure and stormed out of the meeting.

Vera has also stormed out of a council meeting when she was not getting her way.

Can the people of this Shire afford to have this happen again?

Mrs McLennan denies the truth of these letters saying she did leave a council meeting on one occasion because she disagreed with a ruling on procedure by the chairman.

Mrs McLennan contacted the editor, Mr W. P. Smith, to ask him to withdraw those letters. He says that he then phoned two members of the shire council, who told him the letters were accurate (the two councillors were subsequently described by Mrs McLennan as her "opposition"). The editor decided to publish the letters in the last edition prior to the election. He says that he felt Mrs McLennan had several avenues of countering these letters open to her in other media in the area.

Mrs McLennan has produced statements from council officials challenging the veracity of the allegations in the two letters. The Press Council itself is not in a position to rule on these questions of fact. However, it is evident that Mrs McLennan should have been given a right of reply in relation to the two letters published. She should have had her denial published in the newspaper before the election.

The complaint is upheld.