THERE are signs the heat is rising in the battle to win the seat of Frankston at next month’s state election.
Firefighters were called out last week to extinguish a fire that destroyed a billboard promoting Liberal candidate Sean Armistead’s campaign to win votes.
Frankston CFA firefighter Doug Broom said his crew responded to a call about the burning sign at Beach St at about 9.25pm on Friday 10 October.
The flames were quickly extinguished but an anonymous Twitter troll tried to use the incident to provoke a blazing row with Mr Armistead.
The Twitter user publicly sent Mr Armstead a message the day after the fire with a photograph of a firefighter at the scene putting the fire out and claimed the Liberal candidate’s campaign is “going up in smoke”.
Mr Armistead decided not to fan the online flames by responding to the tweet.
“I never respond to negative anonymous tweets, especially those promoting unsafe behaviour and unsavoury politics,” Mr Armistead said.
“Although I am always happy to debate a policy or principle with people who are not anonymous and throwing around wild accusations about me.”
Mr Broom said the fire was “deemed to be suspicious”.
“It looked like it was deliberately set alight,” he said.
“It may have been someone with a political point to make but it was just as likely to be someone who thought it was funny.”
Mr Broom said the arson attack “was a potentially harmful prank.”
Labor candidate for Frankston Paul Edbrooke is a firefighter based at the CFA’s Frankston station.
He condemned the actions of whoever set Mr Armistead’s political billboard alight.
“It’s a waste of firefighters’ time and is potentially dangerous,” Mr Edbrooke said.
Mr Broom said he did not know who took the photograph circulated on social media that showed a firefighter dealing with the fire.
“There were several people passing by with camera phones including the people who called it [the fire] in,” he said.
The person who sent the photograph to Mr Armistead seems to have set up their Twitter account to continually criticise the Liberal Party and Mr Armistead. The account has just 28 followers.
Mr Armistead said the temporary loss of the political billboard was the second time that week someone had taken one of his Liberal Party signs out of action.
A Karingal Drive billboard was stolen the night before the Beach St sign was set alight.
“It’s disappointing but I will replace the sign,” Mr Armistead said.
“I hope this is not the start of an underhand dirty tricks campaign.”
He said whoever stole the Karingal Drive sign “cut 20 zip ties” and had not left the large billboard nearby.
First published in the Frankston Times
