I am making this statement only because of the media attention this matter attracted, including the presence of the Herald Sun, MP News and other local media in court in relation to a routine matter concerning historic fines dating back more than 10 years.
Today I attended Frankston Magistrates’ Court in relation to historic fines that only came to my attention late last year. I am also conscious that this matter has already been the subject of earlier reporting by the Herald Sun and MP News that was inaccurate, misleading and omitted key context.
Historical Parking Fines
The key issue here is simple. These were historic fines from more than a decade ago that I did not know about at the time. I had not received them, and enforcement judgment was made without me being present. Once I became aware of the matter last year, I moved quickly to address it and have since been largely successful in doing so.
The matter resolved with a significant reduction in the amount claimed and an arrangement now in place to pay the reduced balance.
That is the actual story, not the theatre around it, not the attempts to build a spectacle out of a routine matter, and not the appetite from some quarters to turn an old civil issue into something more dramatic than it ever was.
Media attention noted in court
The unusual level of media interest was also noted in court by the magistrate, who remarked on the strange number of media requests in relation to what amounted to a fines enforcement matter.
Readers are entitled to draw their own conclusions from that.
Why this matters
What should concern people is not an old fines matter being addressed through the proper process, but the ongoing fixation from certain individuals and media outlets on selectively framing matters concerning me, personalising issues that are not newsworthy, and building a narrative around my life rather than dealing with the issues I report on.
I should not have to make a statement like this at all. But when others are invested in framing events to suit themselves, I need to be proactive and put the facts on the record myself.
Hardened Resolve
I have no intention of standing down, quieting down or changing course to satisfy people who would rather target the journalist than answer the questions being put to them. If anything, this only hardens my resolve.
Make no mistake, those who wish me and STPL News to fail are desperate to stop us from revealing the truth. Perhaps they have the most to lose.
Regardless, I will continue doing my job, asking difficult questions, and producing stronger reporting and better stories moving forward.
