We have seen three censure motions against councillors – one for abuse by Councillor Mark Croxford – with Karen Renkema-Lang defeating her politically motivated censure. Neither The Bugle nor the public knows the name or charge against the third councillor.

Councillors Karen Renkema-Lang, Kathy Rice and Jodi Keast, were referred by council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. They have denied any wrongdoing. The three women fought against the Council’s groupthink and for that, they were punished. Turn clocks back 100 years.

As CEO Jane Stroud said, “I hold specific concerns and worry about the worsening functionality of the Council, when in uncertain times and unchartered territory, what is really required is cohesive and collective effort to correct the course of the organisation.”

Bravo. It was a shame she sided with the blokes (except Matt Brown who abstained), and in a classic case of shooting the messenger at the 16 July council meeting, the Council referred The Bugle to the Australian Press Council.

The Bugle is guilty of reporting the Bonaira fiasco, draft after draft of Council’s corrected accounts, the pros and cons of ocean wind farms, reporting the dodgy Loves Bay development, council’s lack of parking policy and much more.

Let us compare the recent tactics of Clr Mark Andrew Croxford with those of Senator Joseph McCarthy, a little-known junior senator from Wisconsin until 1950.

McCarthy claimed the US Department of State was riddled with communists as the Cold War raged. Using the same tactics, Croxford has conducted his own witch hunt for the name of the owner of The Bugle.

He created a context of mounting fear and paranoia in the council executive demanding – as if this was in the public interest – to know if property developers had inveigled their way into The Bugle.

In fact, Council already knew the owner had bought the newspaper more than a year before. The owner is a businesswoman writer, not a property developer.

This did not stop Croxford. Are or have you ever been associated with property developers?

Croxford’s comments on the Council floor on 16 July, contained the imputation that the owner takes ‘cash for comments’ from developers. This contemptible suggestion goes to the very heart of integrity and reputation. It is libellous and motivated by malice.

He has not offered one scintilla of evidence to support his claims. Not then, not now.

The owner had a legitimate right to privacy. That’s why we have the Privacy Act. This sort of bullying does not go over well with women. Is this the sort of person you want on the council?

To compound the libel, Mr Croxford published a series of Facebook posts which held The Bugle, its owner and staff, up to ridicule and contempt by fair-minded readers.

He accused Lynne Strong’s opinion article in The Bugle, "Is Our Council Structure Fit for Purpose?" of being an example of psychological propaganda used in war. Really? I mean, really?

Ms Strong was the 2017 Australia Day Ambassador and an Australian of the Year nominee. Her awards and credentials are compelling.

Further, at the same council meeting, with his mind on the September council elections, Croxford asked the CEO a raft of politically motivated questions about who was to blame for the Blue Haven Bonaira fiasco.

He is fighting for transparency and accountability. He won’t stop until someone is burnt at the stake.

Two can play the fear game and you will find this fact grounded in the council’s Long Term Financial Plan 2024-2025 to 2033-2034. In scenario two, which the council downplays, there is the option of a special rate variation of 10 per cent in 2026-2027 on top of the normal rate peg. That’s a rate fee of around 14 per cent.

Let me give Croxford a hand because this council has swum from the Titanic to the Marie Celeste and is spent.

In a confidential council report of the Director of Finance (21 November 2017), it included the risk profile of building Bonaira.

Bonaira build risk assessment, Kiama Council

It shows all three tenders were high risk (in red) and the companies seeking to throw risk back on to the Council. What did the successful Tier 1 builder of Bonaira, do in the final stages of the tender to win it?

Apparently, according to the document, a meeting was held with council and the awarded contractor  on 7 December 2017 and, “all high risk items raised by Council have since been resolved.”

A Council spokesperson said it had, “looked into this and there’s not anything further we can supply, except the information you’ve already sourced that is on the public record.”

The builder of Blue Haven Bonaira is now facing legal action by council. Join the queue.

The Kiama Council quoted Thomas Jefferson in its 2023 mid-year review who said, “The government you elect is the government you deserve.”

On the 14 September council elections, be the Administrator and elect the government you deserve.