By LIAM DURKIN
LATROBE City Councillor, Sharon Gibson has been unintentionally caught up in controversy surrounding the vile letter drop that happened on the eve of last November’s council elections.
The letters were distributed late last year to Traralgon residents, defaming current mayor Darren Howe and Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron.
Cr Howe was not mayor at the time, while Mr Cameron was coming up to 12 months as the local member.
Cr Gibson, a long serving Latrobe City councillor, was last week questioned by police over her alleged involvement in the saga.
It is understood the West Ward councillor was visited by three police officers at her Yallourn Heights residence, and later cleared without charge.
Cr Gibson was implicated after footage emerged from home security cameras of a Traralgon resident showing an unidentified person distributing the letters.
The footage was obtained by the ABC and posted online. It shows a person, presumably female, of short stature wearing a hat, facemask and gloves, most likely to conceal any fingerprints.
Debate has raged over whether or not the person captured on the footage is Cr Gibson, although addressing the issue on Gippsland FM on Tuesday, May 14, presenter Greg Hansford believed a few things didn’t add up.
“The person in the film clip has got no resemblance to Sharon Gibson,” he asserted.
“For a start, the person has got long, straight brown hair. I was involved in campaigning with Sharon Gibson at the last state election (Cr Gibson ran as an independent in 2022) and she was going in for hip surgery, she subsequently had a hip operation in April last year, so she was getting about on crutches.
“Someone with hip problems certainly wouldn’t be strolling around like the person in the ABC clip.
“My first response was ‘what incredible timing’, this letter was distributed sometime last year and suddenly it comes out now, just in time for the elections… that’s coincidence or not?”
There has been further suggestion a smear campaign is at play against the colourful and at times outspoken councillor before a new council is elected for another four year term this October.
Further queries have also been raised about exactly what, if anything, a West Ward councillor would even have to gain from undertaking in an activity of this nature, only seeming to affirm Cr Gibson’s innocence further.
The Express spoke to Cr Gibson last week, but she chose not to provide a public comment, understandably citing her own privacy.
When asked for comment, Latrobe City Council supplied the following:
“Latrobe City Council has been informed by one of its councillors that they have been questioned by, and cooperated with, Victoria Police in relation to a matter under investigation,” a council spokesperson said.
“The matter in question does not involve Latrobe City Council. As this is an ongoing police investigation unrelated to council activities, no further comments will be provided at this time.”
Council elections are conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission every four years.
This year’s Latrobe City Council election is anticipated to be one of the most public in recent memory, as some highly opinionated and larger than life characters are believed to be considering throwing their hat in the ring come October.
Such a sight could be frighteningly comparable given the US presidential election will take place the very next month.
