Fake letters part of smear campaign

Four emailed letters to the editor defaming Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard. They came after a Perth newspaper reported the Department of Local Government had dealt with a complaint about Mr Pickard not declaring an interest. One had an address in Woodvale. The Weekender visited the address and the purported letter writer did not live there. In fact, the residents did not know the person. A fake letter. The oldest trick in the book. And only for a gullible newspaper to fall for. Another letter was from a person from Banksia Grove. The newspaper rang the contact mobile number to verify the correspondence. A woman answered, recited the name and address on the letter and hung up. If the letters are any indication, there is a smear campaign going on against Mr Pickard, now in his third term as Mayor. They go to his argument that the making public of what he has called an ‘administrative oversight’ in not declaring a financial interest is part of muckraking against him. There have always been disruptive elements in local government. That’s why there is always a need for strong leadership. Meanwhile, detractors of Mr Pickard will have to come up with some new tricks. For more:How a young woman couldn’t lieMayor speaks out against muckraking