Gold Coast MP Sam O’Connor 'blown away' by backlash to Facebook post

A Gold Coast MP has spoken of his shock after receiving a furious backlash to a social media post calling on men to be "part of the change" following the horror death of Kelly Wilkinson. >>>SEE WHAT HE SAID

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BONNEY MP Sam O'Connor says he has been shocked by the backlash to a social media post calling on men to be "part of the change" following the horror death of Kelly Wilkinson.

Mr O'Connor - who helped organise a vigil for Ms Wilkinson attended by thousands of Gold Coasters - said he was "blown away" by the amount of people objecting to his comments.

Ms Wilkinson burned to death in the back yard of her Arundel home on Tuesday, April 20. Her estranged husband has since been charged with her murder.

In a Facebook post on Friday night, Mr O'Connor said: "If you’re a man who feels the need to control, punish or hurt your partner, if you’re reading this and saying, ‘yeah but you don’t know what she did’... Get help. Talk to your family and your mates. Reach out."

The post was commented on by hundreds of people, many of them accusing Mr O'Connor of "vilifying men" and "being divisive".

 

Sam O'Connor MP speaks at the vigil for Kelly Wilkinson in Parkwood. Picture: Jerad Williams

 

"I was blown away," Mr O'Connor told the Bulletin. "I knew it could be a bit controversial ... but didn't think that so many would get triggered.

 

"I think the overwhelming majority of people accept that this (appealing to men to seek help) is common sense and the right approach. 

 

"But there's clearly a group of people who have trouble with it."

 

Mr O'Connor said he was further surprised when a comment he made in response, saying he "cannot understand people being triggered by me saying blokes who feel the need to control, punish or hurt their partner should get help" and that there were "no justifications or excuses for abuse", generated further angry responses.

 

"On that post, I've put up a comment saying don't hit your partner, and if you feel the need get help," Mr O'Connor said. "I don't see how that's controversial in any way. 

 

"That's at 400-odd interactions just for that comment". 

 

 

Mr O'Connor said data did not support comments claiming that women were equally as responsible for domestic violence as men.

 

"If women were overwhelmingly the perpetrators I would be saying the same thing in reverse," Mr O'Connor said.

 

"But that is not what the data shows.  At the very least, 80% of cases are men against women."

 

Mr O'Connor added that since the death of Kelly Wilkinson, he has been taken aback by the number of women in his constituency sharing their own stories of abuse. 

 

"Everywhere I've gone, a woman has come up to me and told me a story of her own situation with domestic violence," he said.

 

 

"I've been blown away by how much this has brought to the surface."

 

FEBRUARY 24: MP COPS FURIOUS BACKLASH FROM ANTI-VAXXERS

A Gold Coast MP has spoken out against anti-vaccination conspiracy theories after being bombarded with comments objecting to a Facebook post about the COVID-19 jab.

Bonney MP Sam O’Connor said he was “absolutely shocked” to receive an online backlash after a post welcoming the first COVID-19 vaccination on the Coast being administered to nurse Zoe Park on Monday.

Commenters called Mr O’Connor a “deplorable puppet” who was “blatantly lying” for stating that the vaccine was safe, made claims about dramatic “side effects” and described the COVID-19 pandemic as “a hoax”.

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Mr O’Connor said his staff had to remind him to be “calm and measured” in his responses.

“I get very passionate about this. I’ve got a science degree myself and I’m on the board of advice for the Glycomics Institute,” he said.

“A lot of that is trying to promote the work that our institutes on the Gold Coast do and show the incredible science that goes on right within our community.”

Bonney MP Sam O’Connor.

Mr O’Connor said the Facebook ban on news sources had contributed to the misinformation being spread online.

Gold Coast Health’s Facebook page was among those pulled down when the ban was enforced last Thursday.

“In a week where we’ve got the vaccine rollout beginning, the fact that they banned news sources that are accurate and reliable and have obligations on them was outrageous,” he said.

“A few pieces that I tried to put up that I knew were reputable got banned as news. Even the Pfizer website that talks about the clinical trials got banned as a news source when I tried to post that. It was just extraordinary.”

Protestors at the anti-vaccination march in Brisbane. Picture: Peter Wallis.

Results of a federal government survey released last week showed widespread unease about COVID-19 vaccinations, with 9 per cent of respondents saying they “definitely would not” get the jab and another 27 per cent saying they were “unsure” whether they would get vaccinated.

Mr O’Connor said both federal and state governments needed to do more to promote the message that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.

“I encouraged people to rely on legitimate sources like government health departments and they actually are doubting them, saying it’s propaganda,” Mr O’Connor said. “Biases against politicians seem to be extending to these government departments, which they (anti-vaxxers) are not understanding have to provide accurate information.

“... There needs to be better explanations from government about some of these things. What I’ve seen is a bit inadequate and it’s still very complex in terms of it’s wording.

“There’s nothing in front of people in Australia to make them see why this is so devastating and why vaccination is so important.”

Registered Nurse Zoe Park receives Queensland’s first COVID-19 vaccine from clinical nurse consultant Kellie Kenway at Gold Coast University Hospital. Photo: Nigel Hallett.

The comments on Mr O’Connor’s Facebook page came in the wake of anti-vaccination protests across Australia at the weekend, including one attended by more than 1000 people in Brisbane.

In the wake of the protests, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said Queenslanders should have confidence in the vaccine.

“Across the world since we’ve seen this vaccine rolled out we’ve seen cases decline,” Ms Young said.

“I certainly will be putting my arm out for the first vaccine I’m offered.

“This is what I’ve been hoping for right from day one of this pandemic.”

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