Murphy’s April Fool’s joke on Redlands slammed as ‘tone-deaf’

A Brisbane councillor’s April Fool’s Day joke claiming Redland City’s annexation by Brisbane has sparked political backlash, with one particular image blasted as tone-deaf.

Brisbane City councillor Ryan Murphy at his desk with an image of his April Fool’s day Facebook Post.

A Brisbane City councillor’s April Fool’s Day Facebook post calling for the annexation of neighbouring Redland City and likening it to US President Donald Trump’s mooted invasion of Greenland, has been met with outrage.

Brisbane City Councillor Ryan Murphy, with apparent support from Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, posted a satirical announcement on April 1 claiming that Brisbane had “annexed” its neighbour, Redland City.

The post suggested that Brisbane City Council work crews had already moved in, seized assets, and begun changing Redland signage.

“Much like Greenland, the Redlands is better off with Brisbane than going it alone,” the post read, a nod to Trump’s widely mocked suggestion that the United States should purchase Greenland from Denmark.

Brisbane Cr Ryan Murphy’s Facebook Post claiming that Redland was being invaded by Brisbane crews.

The post referenced a “faux” press conference accompanying in which Lord Mayor Schrinner allegedly made repeated jabs at Redland infrastructure, claiming the smaller council had been mismanaged and that residents would now benefit from Brisbane’s lower rates and expanded public transport network.

“Look what over a 100 years of independence has got them, they don’t even have dump vouchers or a 25-metre-long bus,” Mr Schrinner was quoted as saying.

However, what was intended as a lighthearted prank, quickly drew backlash.

Many Redland residents and political opponents took offence.

Brisbane City Council leader of the opposition, Cr Jared Cassidy, condemned the post as “tone-deaf” and “inappropriate”.

“The use of a movie image depicting a racist, ultra-nationalistic leader of far-right militants, even in jest, is completely inappropriate given the current social climate,” Cr Cassidy’s office said in a statement.

“Cr Murphy has completely missed the mark here.

“April Fool’s Day can be great lighthearted fun, but this post wreaks of poor taste and clearly shows that Cr Murphy is out of touch.

“The character Cr Murphy has used from the movie ‘Civil War’ murders news reporters because they appear Asian or Hispanic asking, ‘what kind of American are you?’.

“It’s absurd that the Lord Mayor endorses this content and finds it funny. It’s anything but that in the current climate.”

The controversy deepened when it emerged that one of Cr Murphy’s four April Fool’s posts had since been deleted, leading opponents to accuse him of backtracking in response to the backlash.

Social media reactions were mixed, with some users playing along while others criticised the post.

One sarcastic commenter suggested Brisbane should “build a wall along the southern border and make Logan pay for it”.

Another questioned whether the post was a distraction from real local government issues.

Meanwhile, Logan City Mayor Jon Raven’s own April Fool’s joke proved far more convincing and less controversial.

Logan mayor Jon Raven made an April Fool’s Day post claiming the Lions were moving to Logan and had even changed the club's logo. Picture: Facebook

Mayor Raven claimed in a Facebook post that the Brisbane Lions AFL Club had abandoned a planned move to a redeveloped Victoria Park stadium in Brisbane’s inner city and would instead be relocating to a new 84,000-seat stadium in Logan, at the Meadowbrook Griffith University campus.

“Can you keep a secret?” Raven wrote. “An insider has leaked their new logo and the 3D images of the site plan. Welcome home, Logan Lions!” the joke post said.

His post, though entirely fabricated, gained traction because it played into real frustrations surrounding the Lions’ stadium plans.

Some Logan residents were briefly swept up in the excitement before realising the April 1 date.

In contrast to Cr Murphy’s Redland annexation post, Mayor Raven’s prank was met with more amusement than anger, highlighting the fine line politicians must walk when engaging in April Fool’s humour.

By midday, both councillors had acknowledged their pranks, with Cr Murphy defending his post as a harmless joke.