Opinion Editorial - Local government cannot work for us effectively when councillors are confronted with a culture of abuse

Why would capable people want to represent their communities if that means facing threats and intimidation, asks Dion Lester.

Last year, a number of Tasmanian councils introduced “dealing with unreasonable customer policies”, in response to their various experiences of dealing with abuse directed towards elected representatives and council staff.

Councils reported harrowing stories of councillors and staff being verbally abused in the office, harassed online, and even confronted in the supermarket and in their own driveways. By any accepted standards of decency, this appalling treatment should not be tolerated in any workplace.

Yet, all too often, the sentiment online is that councils, their staff, and elected representatives have brought the bad behaviour on themselves and therefore deserve to be abused. This reflects a broader, troubling trend in public debates, where frustration with institutions is increasingly expressed through personal attacks rather than constructive engagement. Social media, with its anonymity and lack of immediate accountability, has amplified this shift, making abuse more frequent and more intense.

Last week, the Local Government Association of Tasmania launched “Lift the Tone”, a campaign promoting collective responsibility for improving the standard of public debate and discussion in our community.

An LGAT survey of Tasmanian councillors found 80 per cent had experienced abuse or intimidation to varying degrees from members of the community during the past two years. The most common form of abuse or intimidation was on social media (47 per cent), followed by verbal abuse in public (37 per cent). In extreme situations, some received death threats, had been followed in their vehicle, sought counselling, and installed extra security at their homes. Concerningly, more than one-third of councillors indicated that they felt at risk when fulfilling their role. Imagine not feeling safe when you are just doing your job.

This pattern of abuse extends beyond local government. Healthcare professionals, teachers, and law enforcement officers also report increasing levels of hostility from the public. However, local government representatives, who often live and work in the same communities they serve, face a particularly acute challenge. For councillors, the line between professional and personal life is blurred, making them more vulnerable to public hostility, even in their private spaces.

I fully expect that our campaign will once again prompt some to deflect responsibility, minimise the issue, and even double down on abuse towards elected representatives and council staff. But we have to face the reality that abuse, intimidation and offensive language are all having a corrosive impact on our democracy.

Abuse not only harms the wellbeing of those serving the community, but it also discourages people from running for elected office and ultimately undermines the effectiveness of local government. Plus, we are seeing an increasing number of councillors who either resign from office midterm or choose not to re-stand solely based on the community abuse they have received.

For example, in our survey, 50 per cent of the councillors who indicated that they would not seek re-election at the local government election in 2026 made this decision because of the abuse they had experienced.

We can all agree that we want to attract the most capable and engaged people to represent our communities on council. But right now, why would members of your local community consider putting up their hands to serve their communities, knowing there is an 80 per cent chance they will face abuse for the privilege?

At the moment - we would have to include, “needs a thick skin, must tolerate online and face-to-face abuse” - as part of the job description. This is not sustainable.

For local government to thrive, a culture of respect and accountability is essential to support and protect representatives from such harmful behaviour.

It is important to state that this is not about limiting scrutiny of local government representatives. Elected representatives should be accountable for their decisions, but that does not make them fair game for abuse.

There will always be issues and decisions on which not everyone agrees. At a time when public debate on issues is becoming increasingly polarised, we need to recognise that we can disagree with one another without disrespect.

History shows that political disagreements have always existed, but the way we engage with them has changed. In the past, debates occurred face to face, in town halls or through letters to the editor.

Today, social media has made it easier to lash out in frustration without considering the impact of our words.

Over the coming weeks, we are asking people from all walks of life to sign a public pledge committing to promoting civility in public debate, refraining from abusive language and behaviour online or in person, and encouraging others to engage respectfully.

By holding each other accountable as a community, we can have a meaningful impact on improving the standard of public debate.

We cannot allow abuse against elected representatives and council staff to undermine our community - we all have a responsibility to Lift the Tone.

Dion Lester is the chief executive of the Local Government Association of Tasmania.

As published in The Mercury on 10 April 2025.