Maitland Councilors question legality of a motion that may violate the privacy act

Cr Ben Mitchell moved a motion to have Councillors disclose which Facebook and websites councillors administrator after Maitland Council received public backlash over it’s skyrocketing rates and reckless spending they received a barrage of negative social posts and news, comments and emails, in direct opposition to policies made by Maitland Council.

Cr Mitchell and others believe that Cr Penfold was the mastermind behind the rapid rise of the popular news site MHV News which turned out to be false leaving Maitland councillors looking like a bunch of whining teenagers at their last meeting. Councillors spent almost the entire meeting moaning about social media and local news. Which you as a rate-payer footed the bill for this meeting and legal advice given to council.

Maitland Council should really listen to the concerns of the people who elect them rather than whinge at the negative press and comments they receive from their own policies that have lead to wide-spread anger in the community.

We can only commend Cr Griffin and Cr Haillday for standing up for privacy and voted against the motion because of concerns the motion may breach the privacy act and therefore be illegal.

Mayor Baker then referred the matter to the chairman who said his legal advice from council lawyers says it would not breach the privacy act. The privacy act allows councils to collect personal data for lawful purposes. Not sure what lawful purposes council needs to know that a councillor maybe a administrator of a yoga page or any other non council related site.

Mayor Baker than told Cr Halliday and Griffin to stop trying to be amateur lawyers in a little smirk dig at their opposition to the motion.

After the motion, Cr Penfold came clean and revealed he own one website but not the smoking gun they were hoping for, which is this website myhuntervalley.com also known as MHV NEWS. I would have to ask, did Cr Mitchell really smell a rat or is he doing the dirty work for Mayor Baker

Cr Ferris argued it was not fair that someone can be banned from social pages to shutdown debate and not have the opportunity to defend themselves. Shortly after the meeting Cr Ferris posted to a Facebook group to attack Cr Penfold in a group which Penfold is blocked from and cannot defend himself.

Cr Ferris said “I was right the barley coherent Philp Penfold was moonlighting as a Journo” as he shared a link to an article written by the questionable Amy Zaniak from The Newcastle News which pretends to be its own news outlet, but is really The Daily Telegraph which I had to pay $4 to read, worst investment ever I hope I can get a refund.

Cr Penfold posted to his own Facebook Page “Local journalists are once again putting out nonsense headlines of a secret “mystery news website”, while confirming I am NOT the owner/operator of www.myhuntervalley.com”

Cr Penfold also said “I won’t be silenced from speaking out against the mayor and Labor aligned councillors 2020 COVID rate rise, $32k EACH WEEK art gallery cash contribution, and their opposition to a free bulk waste collection”