As the Bob Dylan song says, 'why don't you just come out once and scream it?'

It seems improbable, but the big controversy in this current Council election is that in my election flyer I recommended a vote for some of the other candidates. That's right... recommended a vote for them!

The story is that I did this as part of a cunning (and sexist) plan to defraud people into thinking that these women were supporters of mine, thereby snaring the all-important ''nutter" vote.

Sane people ask me, in these sort of circumstances, why do I subject myself to this?

The answer is that I've always been a person who stands up for what I believe in.

One of the things I believe strongly is the need for publicly-elected or publicly-paid officials to be accountable to taxpayers, ratepayers and electors.  Although one of the stated ''values" of the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire is accountability, most of those involved either don't understand the principle or don't like to adhere to it.

The candidate who objected to me asking people to vote for her didn't call to tell me, but had a friend write to the newspaper to complain about it.

This reminded me of the days when former councillor Stephanie Devaney used to write letters to the newspaper attacking me, under the name of her husband Peter Quinby. 

Election candidate Alan Wilson says in his flyer "council now works as more of a team... there is a more constructive search towards resolution rather than grandstanding on single issues..." and "I have no personal crusades to follow." To what or who is he referring? We can only guess.

Current Shire President Tony Pratico likes to whisper his criticisms and conspiracy theories about me to the local newspaper reporters and anyone else who will listen, but he always asks not to be quoted. He has been doing this for years, spreading stories about how I only went on Council to further my father-in-law's business interests, how I only wanted the gravel road I live on upgraded so I could cash in on the increased property value, how I never turned up for meetings, how I only bought the Freemasons Hotel because I knew the Council was thinking of buying it and wanted to make a quick buck, etc etc etc.  None of it is true, but I never get a chance to defend myself because Mr Pratico is not courageous enough to come out and say these things publicly, or speak to me about them.

Conversely, anyone can read right here exactly what I think of Mr Pratico's performance as a publicly-elected official and Mr Pratico is free to post a response.

I think its time for Bridgetown to get past the old-fashioned country town approach to local politics where the art of back-stabbing is rewarded and cranking up the rumour mill is the most popular game in town.

Lets have a free and fair and open debate about all the issues. Name names and pin your colours to the mast so we all know where we stand. 

Authorised by Michael Southwell, 24 Blackwood Park Road, Bridgetown.