Wagga City councillor Paul Funnell believes he has been targeted by another death threat, after somebody shot a crow and placed its bloody corpse in his letterbox on Friday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cr Funnell said the "early Christmas present" was just the latest in a string of death threats he had received over his various controversial opinions.
He claims to have received about half a dozen death threats this year alone, as well as many more throughout his term as a councillor.
Cr Funnell says the attacks have escalated this year due to his hardline stance towards China and Wagga's sister city Kunming.
He received messages demanding that he apologise to China and retract his comments, or else the attacks would continue.
"They're gutless cowards and they don't intimidate me at all. All it does is build resolve for me and make me want to dig my heels in and go harder," Cr Funnell said.
"I have freedom of speech and I speak the truth and nothing but the truth, and rest assured that they can do what they like but I'm not going away and I'm not backing down."
READ MORE:
He says he has previously received threats over his other controversial stances, including opposing council's climate emergency declaration, slamming Wiradjuri footballer Joe Williams for sitting during the national anthem, and pushing to end Wagga's sister city relationship with Kunming over coronavirus.
Cr Funnell said he had also received a great deal of internal pushback from council for his comments, and had briefly considered giving up and quitting council this year.
He had been planning to stand down from council at the end of his term in September, but says he now intends to stay out of sheer stubbornness.
"The more they push, the more stubborn I'm going to be," Cr Funnell said.
"Instead of trying to work for the greater good all they want to do is keep putting in codes of conduct against me. The moment I say something they all cry foul and claim to be offended, so I'm not going anywhere."
Cr Funnell has since reported the incident to council and Wagga police.
Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
