'Viciousness' - Tauranga City Councillor calls it quits after social media hate

Leanne Brown will not stand for re-election to Tauranga City Council this year. Photo / George Novak

Not so long ago letters to the editor and calls to talkback radio were the primary vehicles for members of the public to give their elected officials serving of opinion in public. These days, there is a third vehicle: social media. Anyone, anytime can have their say about anything - or anyone - with little thought to the decorum of public debate or fear of moderation. But in a world where threats, personal attacks, name-calling and ill-informed comment are part and parcel of elected office, who'd want to run for council? One councillor speaks out.

Tauranga City Councillor Leanne Brown is speaking out against social media "viciousness and personal attacks" after announcing she won't stand for re-election this year.

But the issue of online vitriol is not limited to elected officials, with the council saying its staff have had "threats of violence" online, and a local government leader saying it could put people off standing for public office.

Brown, a councillor of four-and-a-half years, said she hoped sharing her experience would help curb the bad behaviour she had seen online before it put good people off running for council.

The 51-year-old "tough cookie" said she understood taking criticism was part of being a politician but some of the "abuse" hurled on Facebook went too far.

She had been called "every name under the sun" in "cruel and cutting comments".

"I am not a quitter and I am not weak. I have done my community service.

"But I have a daughter growing up in this city. I have parents growing old in this city and I have friends.

"The viciousness and personal attacks don't just affect me."

Brown is a Mount Maunganui/Pāpāmoa ward councillor and one of the city's most engaged officials on Facebook.

So ... after much soul searching and ‘for and against’ lists, I’ve decided not to re-stand for Tauranga City Council in...

Posted by Leanne Brown - Harcourts on Tuesday, 6 August 2019

She said she loved using social media to connect with people, canvass opinions and see what people were talking about. She believed all elected officials should be engaged on social media.

"I do think that in amongst all the ill-considered comments there is valuable community feedback.

"But the personal attacks do hurt. People need to remember we are human.

"I don't have an off switch. I do look at it all. I do read the messages.

"I need to get my life back, and my soul."

She felt for council staff who were also frequently on the receiving end of online hate.

On Facebook, fellow ward Councillor Steve Morris said of Brown's decision that "online bullying" had claimed another victim.

I'm gutted to be losing my colleague, friend, and an effective voice for the Mount and Papamoa. Online bullying claims another victim.

Posted by Steve Morris - Tauranga City Councillor for the Mount & Papamoa on Tuesday, 6 August 2019

In June Morris apologised for a dig he made at mayoral candidate Tenby Powell on Facebook.

Susan Jamieson, the council's general manager of people and engagement, said keyboard warriors often forgot, or did not appreciate, that the people working at council were members of the same community as them.

"Negative comments range from racist slurs about members of our community and insulting council, to threats of violence against staff, all of which takes its toll."

False information online could both undermine council decisions and pose a risk to the personal safety and mental health of staff, Jamieson said.

Local Government New Zealand vice president Stuart Crosby, former Tauranga mayor and current regional councillor, said he had heard of everything from "low-level abuse to death threats" being levelled at elected officials.

It was an issue that had been discussed at the highest level of the organisation, which is trying to encourage more people to run for local councils.

Leanne Brown being sworn in by Mayor Stuart Crosby after winning a byelection in 2014. Photo / File

"In my view, it is a barrier when people are considering putting their names forward for an election."

Traditional vehicles for democratic criticism - letters to the editor and talkback radio - had standards and moderation that social media lacked.

"When you have freedom of speech there is a responsibility that comes with it."

While he was not a big Facebook user, he said the online abuse was noticeably worse as a mayor than in his current role as a regional councillor.

"My family has been attacked on various occasions because I happened to be the mayor of Tauranga."

Brown said there were other factors behind her decision, including a broad frustration with how long it took to get anything done in local government and the complexity and limitations of the regulations councils had to follow.

She was not retiring - "my bank manager would have kittens" - but had not decided what was next.

She was proud of many things the council had achieved in her term, including the tidal stairs, tsunami alerting and evacuation progress, growth in community development and being able to help grassroots causes.

Councillors Max Mason and Catherine Stewart have also announced they will not seek re-election this year.