Wellington switches off TV coverage

Tony Wellington threatens to cut off media.

By MEGAN OGLE

MAYORAL candidate and incumbent councillor Tony Wellington has been caught on camera threatening to cut off a local news group’s access to council press releases.
The shocking snippet of footage was filmed by WIN News and shown on Monday night (21 March) during their 6.30pm news bulletin.
In the footage Cr Wellington can be heard telling the WIN News journalist the media outlet could be cut off from receiving council press releases for the next four years.
Cr Wellington’s comments were in response to WIN News questioning about alleged dodgy polling booth tactics caught on camera only days earlier.
When questioned about the alleged incident in the 21 March news bulletin, Cr Wellington said he thought the WIN News journalist “wasn’t going to go there”.
When Cr Wellington thought the cameras were turned off, he then threatened to withhold media releases from WIN News for the “next four years”.
Cr Wellington was contacted to comment but declined.
Cr Wellington’s comments come while counting is still in progress for the local elections, proving to be a close contest between Cr Wellington and fellow mayoral candidate Sandy Bolton.