Since the editorial that appeared in this paper on Thursday, September 29, the Examiner has had phone calls and letters from readers expressing their thoughts on what had been reported about the first council meeting.
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Most specifically our readers were in equal parts against and for the reporting on the deputy mayor vote.
Some agreed that the new council had made a decision based on a personal grievance.
Some have said we were too harsh on the new council and that the editorial was overly critical of them. That may be so but it is the job of the fourth estate to question and hold politicians to account and we will continue to do that without fear of favour.
We will tell the story as it is, be fair and balanced and hopefully inform our readers in the process.
Some of our readers have asked the Examiner to be more critical of council where it is necessary.
We think we have done that.
However, we can also commend our council equally if it is warranted.
We believe praise is due to the new council.
Each and every councillor that has been asked their thoughts on matters from the first council meeting have been honest, forthright and open with their answers.
Long may that continue.
All candidates in the most recent election and especially those that have been elected to council said that the new council needs to be more open with the public and more transparent with the reasons behind the decisions they have made.
This has been evident with the openness and frankness of the answers given to the Examiner in the past fortnight.
Some politicians give bland well-rehearsed answers saying many words without actually saying anything of real consequence.
The new councillors have jettisoned that approach in place of doing exactly what they said they were going to go leading up to the election, be transparent and open.
So just as the September 29 editorial may have been critical of the first council meeting this one is praising them for what has happened since.
Long may the new openness live, the people of Glen Innes will be better informed and happier for it.