A MILDURA Council candidate has quit the race, saying she was not prepared for “threats of harm or death”.
Racheal Fyfe, a leadership and management teacher making her first tilt for a seat on the council, announced her withdrawal this week.
Ms Fyfe wrote in a statement she had felt prepared to “make a difference” entering the campaign.
“I was not however prepared for threats of harm or death,” she wrote.
“The decision to initially elect to run was natural and easy, to withdraw, surprising for me, has been easier.”
The exact nature of the threats was not detailed.
However, Mildura Mayor Simon Clemence, in an interview with ABC radio, conceded comments replying to a post on his Facebook page had gone too far.
Cr Clemence last week posted a rebuttal to comments Ms Fyfe had made about his position as chief executive of the International Aviation Alliance’s Mildura operations.
One comment posted to Cr Clemence’s page said Ms Fyfe was “signing (her) own death warrant”, among several insults.
The comment had been removed by Wednesday.
Asked if comments on his page went too far, Cr Clemence replied: “Yeah, absolutely.”
“The thing is with politics at any level, there’s always a bit of argy bargy and people are entitled to disagree with each other and they’re entitled to have arguments if you like,” he said.
“But once you get to the situation where people are making threats or death threats, that’s just totally inappropriate.
“Cr Eckel and I have both had death threats and it’s just not something that should happen in politics and unfortunately some people are just stupid — unfortunately that’s just how some people are.”
Racheal Fyfe’s exit letter:
ALLOWING myself to step into an opportunity to lead our community, to provide a voice for our community and make a connected vision for our region, for everyday people, there were many things I was prepared for.
I was prepared for learning, I was prepared for personal sacrifice, I was prepared for being wrong at times and I was prepared for criticism and opposition, with debate.
I accepted this would be “part of the role”.
Born strong and with skin that grew thicker with life’s events, I knew I was as ready as ever I could be to make a difference; that I could represent my community and I could do it very well.
I was not however prepared for threats of harm or death.
The decision to initially elect to run was natural and easy, to withdraw, surprising for me, has been easier.
To my community … vote for a true leader, vote for someone who is willing to take a firm stand, vote for someone who is without personal agenda and has a warm front but a strong back.
The time for change is becoming more and more evident.
It is time to shine an importance on ethics, leadership, teamwork, togetherness and most importantly respect… never underestimate respect for each other as a fellow human being.
Racheal Fyfe,
Mildura
