Fraser Coast councillor James Hansen faces suspension over Facebook posts

A Queensland councillor and farmer, whose wild social media commentary continues to cause outrage, could be suspended by the Local Government Minister after a tribunal found him guilty of misconduct.

A tribunal has recommended a Fraser Coast councillor be stood down for at least one month after finding his posts on social media amounted to misconduct.

This publication can reveal the recommendation to stand down councillor James Hansen, a dairy farmer whose posts on race, gender and Covid sparked complaints, was made by the Councillor Conduct Tribunal, which also reprimanded Mr Hansen.

The final decision on whether to suspend and for how long will be made by Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Steven Miles.

Mr Hansen says he disagrees with the decision and will be appealing it through the Queensland Civil Administrative Tribunal.

“I expressed opinions on three issues as a private citizen on my private (Facebook) page,” he said

“I expressed an opinion that biological men shouldn’t compete in women's sports, I expressed an opinion that Coon cheese (now Cheer) shouldn’t have its name changed as it was named after the inventor Mr Coon an American (and) I expressed an opinion that I disagreed with Covid mandates.

“All were made in my personal capacity not as a councillor … as I’ve said before if we aren’t free to express personal points of view we are in a bad situation.”

Councillor Hansen, a former One Nation candidate, has long courted controversy on his Facebook page.

He first faced calls from a state minister to stand down when, during criticism over a decision about the Tobruk dive site, he said then Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch was “supposed to be black” but was as “white” as he was.

Fraser Coast councillor James Hansen has come under fire for naming his sheep after a racial slur.

At the time, Ms Enoch, who became the first indigenous woman to be elected to Queensland Parliament, said the comment was “nothing less than racist”.

She said Mr Hansen’s decision to relate the Tobruk decision “to my appearance and my race is absolutely appalling” and his comments had “no place in a modern, diverse Queensland”.

Mr Hansen said he would not step down and the comment was “taken the wrong way”.

Amid the pandemic Mr Hansen wrote on his page that Covid was a “wank”.

In the days following the horrific shooting of two police officers and an innocent neighbour, a post on Mr Hansen’s page suggested the Wieambilla massacre was “planned” to spark gun reform.

But when asked about the shooting post, the councillor claimed he had been “hacked” – likely by the “same type of bad people” who had recently hacked his credit card.

Mr Hansen was then investigated over a comment, which he made under a Fraser Coast council post featuring a picture of a staffer in council uniform.

“ … looks like he’s never done a day’s work in his like (sic),” his comment read.

Mr Hansen said the post was just a “joke” because the worker was in clean clothes.

The councillors ultimately voted unanimously to reprimand Mr Hansen, who left the room as the motion was debated.

In March this year, a photo on his page of a dark sheep was posted with the caption “got me a new blackie, her name is n-----”.

Mr Hansen believed there was no issue with the post as “that’s her name” but a response from a Fraser Coast Regional Council spokesman at the time condemned the use of racist language.

“In January, council passed a resolution that any further inappropriate use of social media by Cr Hansen would be treated as misconduct,” the spokesman said.

“As such, this matter will be referred to the Office of the Independent Assessor for investigation and action.”

According to the Department of Local Government, the Councillor Conduct Tribunal “is an independent body, made up of six members and a President appointed by the Governor in Council … responsible for dealing with complaints of misconduct by councillors”.

A spokesman from the Fraser Coast Regional Council responded to the Chronicle’s request for comment on Friday.

“The Councillor Conduct Tribunal has decided that Cr Hansen has engaged in misconduct over a range of comments he posted on Facebook, and they have reprimanded him,” he said.

“The Tribunal has also recommended to the Local Government Minister that Cr Hansen be suspended from office for a period of not less than one month.

“The matter is now in the hands of the Local Government Minister.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Miles also responded.

“The Deputy Premier will consider advice from the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning in relation to the Tribunal’s recommendation,” she said.

The tribunal has also been contacted for comment.