Premier’s office sends ‘reply all’ email saying ‘standard response please’ to angry Townsville crime victim

The Premier’s office has apologised after being left red-faced by a reply all email fail involving a victim of crime seeking help. VOTE IN OUR POLL

A staffer of Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s office sent the internal email to the member of the public in a “reply all” slip. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

The Premier’s office has apologised after being busted requesting a standard generic response be sent to a victim of crime after a staffer “replied all” to an email seeking help.

In a leaked series of correspondence obtained by The Courier-Mail, a Queenslander who says they have had their home broken into for the fourth time in two years writes to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk requesting “please take action now”.

“I don’t feel safe in my own house,” the person writes in an email dated May 25.

“Madam Premier, when are you going to actually do something to stop this?

“Please take action now. The people of Queensland have had enough.”

The person also sent the email to a number of people including Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath, Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter and a number of Townsville MPs.

But a staff member, seemingly meaning to forward the correspondence on, then replies to everyone, including the crime victim, saying send “standard response please”.

The victim then also “replies all”, describing the response as “typical of a government that has lost touch with its constituents and voter base”.

“No doubt this was a clerical error that should have been received by one of your minions before they were to respond with contempt and arrogance that comes with being in power for to (sic) long,” they write.

“Those in your office (are) charged with keeping the public at bay, deflecting, hiding from and basically covering your head while it remains in the sand.

“Your response is typical of a government that has lost touch with its constituents and voter base. It reeks of distain (sic) and ignorance and a total lack of respect for any person who has been a victim of crime in Queensland.”

The person then signs off with “looking forward to another STANDARD RESPONSE PLEASE”.

Ms Palaszczuk said she did not know what the “standard response” referred to by one of her staff members meant.

Asked about the blunder on Tuesday and whether she had ever accidentally hit “reply all”, the Premier said “no, not that I know of – I don’t think I have”.

“(What happened) was an error from a staff member. She has apologised for that,” she said.

“And Minister Ryan has spoken (to the man).

Asked whether she knew what the “standard response” the staff member was referencing, the Premier said she didn’t.

“I can’t answer that, and she (the staffer) is extremely apologetic, and staff members make mistakes,” she said.

“I’m quite sure members of the media have made mistakes in their days.

“What I said to my office is that everybody who writes in is a person who has issues and they need to be responded to. I have made that clear to my staff today.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

A government spokesman on Monday said the Premier’s office had reached out to the person directly on Thursday afternoon.

“The email was sent in error, and the Premier’s office apologises,” a government spokesman said.

“The Premier’s office reached out to the gentleman on Thursday, and the Police Minister has reached out today.”

The blunder comes after the government was slammed by a grieving Sunshine Coast family who claimed they found out Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath would not appeal a sentence given to a learner driver who killed their son via the media.

Graeme Kimball’s son Ryan, 16, was killed instantly when the driver of the car he was a passenger in lost control and drove into a power pole following several high-speed runs in June, 2022.

The then-17-year-old driver was sentenced to 18 months’ detention, immediately suspended, and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Ryan Kimball (left), 16, was a passenger in a car when he was killed in a car crash at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast in June 2022. Parents Annette and Graeme Kimball (right) found out from the sentence given to the teenage driver of the car would not be appealed. Picture: Supplied

Mr Kimball said he found out on Friday from a journalist the sentence would not be appealed – two hours before the Department of Public Prosecutions informed the family.

Ms Palaszczuk said on Monday the family “should have been given support” through the process, and she would follow it up with the Attorney-General.

Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper also weighed in, and said the situation was “completely unreasonable to a Townsville local who has been a victim of crime”.

“I understand the Premier’s office has apologised and I welcome that move,” he said.

Mr Harper said he had spoken to the man involved, as had Police Minister Mark Ryan.

“Further I am facilitating a meeting with new Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer and myself to hear from this gentleman on his experiences and concerns,” he said.