Melbourne councillor details four years of harassment, bullying as local government elections turn ugly

A Melbourne councillor vying for another stint in the role says she’s “living in fear” after being targeted, and the latest incident is the “final straw”.

A Melbourne councillor who had her election campaign posters defaced and graffitied with derogatory language says it’s the “final straw” in a long series of incidents that have forced her to “live in fear”.

Lina Messina – who served four years for Darebin Council in Melbourne’s north – is vying for another term as councillor, but she said this year’s campaign leading up to the October election had been “dirty”.

“I have been harassed, bullied as a result of being a councillor during my four-year term; however, during this campaign the orchestrated theatrics, the criminal acts are enough. It’s just enough,” she told NCA NewsWire.

“It’s disgusting, it’s misleading, it’s shaken me, and at times I have lived in fear.”

One of Lina Messina’s defaced election campaign posters.

Ms Messina noticed this week that three of her election posters across Preston had been defaced, some with graffiti labelling her a “fat pig” and a “commi” – derogatory slang for communist.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” she said.

“To think that someone would undertake cumulative illegal activity and that I should have to be silent about it is not on. I have endured it on a micro level, the phone calls, no printing supplier, the driving past my home at night. I have managed it. But I should not have, I should’ve put a stop on it then.”

A Darebin Council candidate’s campaign billboards have been graffitied.

Ms Messina says the graffiti has left her shaken.

Ms Messina said she had taken a restraining order out against someone who had been stalking her for 18 months and copped threatening anonymous messages over social media during her four-year stint as a councillor.

“No woman, no person should put up with this level of toxicity and level of criminal intent. The police need to investigate. I will not stop until this type of behaviour is stopped,” she said.

“I’m not the only woman going through this. The platform needs to change.

“Local government can be so dirty for some, but we’re in local government because it’s a labour of love for us. The community deserves the best candidates to serve as their councillor. This behaviour stops the passionate community advocates, leaders from nominating and serving.”

Ms Messina said she could not lodge a police report, saying she was told she needed to have evidence on who the suspect was.

The state’s peak body representing local government, the Municipal Association of Victoria, condemned the shocking act.

“Illegal graffiti and defacing of property of any kind is unacceptable and hurts our communities,” chief executive Kerry Thompson said.

“Candidates who stand for any public office deserve to be treated with respect.”

The Victorian Electoral Commission also slammed the act of tampering with election material.

“If a criminal offence has occurred, we would encourage candidates to report the matter to the Victoria Police,” a spokesperson said.

Darebin Council declined to comment.