Is the Murdoch family (net worth $10 billion) not getting a lot of love from Frankston City Council as it seeks a rezone of the late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s Cruden Farm to cash in on the booming residential market?

It usually doesn’t take long for politicians who resist Murdoch rent-seeking to start getting publicly attacked, but today’s swingeing editorial in the Herald Sun was one to behold.

How dare Frankston City Council ask basketballers to contribute modestly to a new $12 million stadium, the paper thundered. Why this matters to readers all over Victoria is anyone’s guess, but it would be interesting to know what motivated Herald Sun editor Damon Johnston to elevate this issue three days after the Murdochs went public with their Cruden Farm plans.

Pure editorial independence and a remarkable coincidence? Or was it a warning shot to the councillors to vote a certain way to help the oligarchs who control the Herald Sun?