Page 3520 - Week 09 - Thursday, 23 August 2018
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that would allow residents to provide informed feedback on how the new network will impact them.
The Canberra CityNews article only yesterday neatly sums up the government disdain for criticism:
Too many times this government has rolled out questionable survey results that do not match the reality of people’s needs.
I could not agree more. Ms Cheyne’s primary defence in her complaint against me, and again today, seems to be that I have proven my comments were dishonest by blocking her on Facebook. I admit that I did block her, but not for the reasons that she believes. She has mentioned that she had only made two comments on the post. They were two comments made in really quick succession while we were all in the chamber and I had not had the opportunity to respond. I stand by my comment that this was trolling behaviour.
I do not believe that my desire to avoid a public argument on social media with another member is in any way relevant to my honesty or integrity. Actually, the opposite is true. I blocked Ms Cheyne so as not to impugn the reputation of all members in this place by descending into what has become, given Ms Cheyne’s record on social media, a schoolyard argument with no real resolution.
I stand by my statement that I do not think it is becoming of members to get into arguments. Ms Cheyne conveniently left out that I said, “arguments over politics and semantics on social media”. I would have been happier to have this debate in the chamber. However, as I said she waited until the last adjournment speech on the last sitting day before the winter recess to raise this issue.
I do not control the ACT Young Liberal Facebook page. It is common practice for those on opposing sides of politics to block each other on social media. I and my colleagues have been, and unblocked by the Chief Minister on numerous occasions.
Ms Cheyne’s feigned outrage at my blocking her and her subsequent complaint to the standards commissioner are childish, petty and a waste of government resources. It is simply another attempt by this government to shut down debate and silence people who disagree with them.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Administration and Procedure—Standing Committee
Membership
Motion (by Mr Rattenbury) agreed to:
That, notwithstanding the provisions of standing order 16, Mr Rattenbury be discharged from the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure for the meeting scheduled for 6 September 2018 and that Ms Le Couteur be appointed in his place for that meeting.
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