QUESTIONS HANG OVER LETTERS

WHEN any person writes a letter to a newspaper expressing their opinions on any given subject, if that person is writing letters on behalf of any group, be that a political party or an environmental activist group, surely that person has a moral responsibility to identify themselves as an activist/influencer within their particular group or party.

I refer to one Ray Peck of Hawthorn, inner Melbourne suburb. Anyone who reads letters to the editor, would recognise the name Mr Peck, part of a new strange trend of people from Melbourne reading and contributing to debate in the Townsville Bulletin.

Now Mr Peck, like every other Australian, is entitled to express his opinion, but if he is writing on behalf of an activist group, surely he would add that particular group after his name. Apparently not. I initially just thought Mr Peck was just another grey nomad from Victoria, escaping the cold Victorian winter, Covid lockdowns and Daniel Andrews.

After several letters from Ray, a quick check on the internet revealed his own page, where he boasts that he is the leader of the letter writing group of an inner Melbourne environmental activist group called Lighter Footprints and their goal this year is to have 1000 letters published this year to influence anyone in regional Australia who dares to have an opinion that does not agree with Lighter Footprints.

So I ask Mr Peck, is he ashamed of being a member of Lighter Footprints?

The suburb right next door to Hawthorn is Kew, and we now have a new letter writer in the name of one Amy Hiller.

Now I do not know if Amy is a member of Lighter Footprints, but I do have my suspicions, and maybe she should advise whether my suspicions have any substance.

If I am wrong, I duly apologise in advance. So I await in eager anticipation replies from the Melbourne suburbs of Hawthorn and Kew. BARRY DAVIES,

Cranbrook.