James Hansen investigated over Facebook ‘joke’ comments

A controversial QLD councillor and former One Nation candidate who has repeatedly come under fire for outrageous Facebook claims and comments is in trouble again.

Contoversial Fraser Coast Councillor James Hansen, who has repeatedly come under fire over social media comments, has landed in hot water again over a “joke” about a council worker he made on the organisation’s Facebook page.

Fraser Coast councillor and former One Nation candidate James Hansen is in hot water once again over social media comments.

The third-term councillor is an anti-vaxxer and has come under fire most recently over a Facebook comment suggesting the Wieambilla murders were staged “just like the Port Arthur Hoax”, though he has since claimed his account was hacked.

A comment posted under the photo of a Fraser Coast council employee on the council’s own Facebook page in September 2022 is at the centre of the latest furore.

‘We were upside down’: Yachties’ terror as ‘rogue wave’ sinks boat

Mr Hansen has been investigated over the comment, which he made under a photo of what appears to be one of the council’s parks and gardens employees.

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

Meet the Qld mullet wearing dairy farmer who is a TikTok sensation

Councillor James Hansen was accused of breaching the state’s code of conduct over a Facebook post he made in September 2022, saying a worker “looks like he’s never done a day’s work in his (life)”.

Mr Hansen has since claimed he made the comment as a “joke” because the worker appeared to be wearing clean clothes.

Reports into a subsequent investigation were published online by the council ahead of its first meeting for 2023, to take place on Wednesday, January 25,

They reveal Mr Hansen was accused of inappropriate conduct and investigated by a third party over the comment.

A MacDonnells Law report published as part of the council’s January 2023 meeting agenda says the comment was posted under a storm season awareness post containing an image of a council worker.

A complaint was lodged with the Office of the Independent Assessor, which was then referred to the council for further investigation.

The report says Mr Hansen admitted making the comment but defended it by saying he thought the worker was a fictional figure and believed them to be an actor hired by the council as part of a campaign.

He claimed he did not see the internal briefing note regarding the campaign.

He said it was a joke and he made the comment because of the clean clothes “that looked like they’d never seen work”, MacDonnells’ report says.

A redacted third-party investigation into a comment made online by councillor James Hansen has been published by the Fraser Coast Regional Council ahead of its January 2023 meeting, where the item will be discussed and councillors will decide whether to accept or reject the report’s findings.

The campaign had been running since August 2021.

MacDonnells Law says these did not “negate” the effect of the comment, which was “made recklessly”.

“The photograph depicts (the worker) in a council uniform,” the report says.

“The campaign did not use an animated figure and contains no information that would allow a reasonable person to conclude that the person depicted was fictional.”

MacDonnells says the evidence supports a finding Mr Hansen breached the Councillor Code of Conduct, but no official ruling has been made.

It recommends he be reprimanded, and any further adverse findings against him in relation to social media be treated as misconduct.

Fraser Coast Regional Councillors will decide whether to accept or reject the report’s findings, and recommendation for punishment, on Wednesday, January 25.

Fraser Coast Councillor James Hansen has been found to have engaged in misconduct or inappropriate conduct four times in the past five years. Each compliant involved comments made on social media.

A council spokesman said the organisation “will not be making any comment before the meeting”.

Mr Hansen has been contacted for comment, but did not respond by deadline.

It is the latest social media storm for the controversial councillor, now in his third term.

The report says Mr Hansen had been found to have engaged in misconduct and inappropriate conduct four times in the past five years.

Each was related to social media, including comments made in September 2021 in relation to “two consecutive terrorist mass shootings that occurred at the Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in New Zealand in March 2019”.

He came under fire most recently in December 2022 over posts made under a profile bearing his name and image in the wake of the murder of two police officers and a civilian at Wieambilla.

The page’s followers were asked “do normal thinking people think the horrible police deaths out west were planned? Just like the Port Arthur (Massacre) Hoax, all designed to disarm us”.

Mr Hansen claimed he was “hacked”, saying it was likely by the “same type of bad people” who had recently done the same to his credit card.

Community leaders called for an investigation into the comments while Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders called on the Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Steven Miles to suspend Mr Hansen pending an outcome of any such scrutiny.

Mr Hansen has previously drawn criticism as a vocal opponent of mask wearing, vaccines and mandates.

During the pandemic he posted on social media “personally, I think the whole Covid thing is a wank”.