Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm criticises Queensland Government for ‘distasteful’ Facebook post
A ‘distasteful’ Facebook post about a cyclone-damaged road in the Wide Bay has been slammed after appearing to make light of domestic violence victims.
Whitsunday
Don't miss out on the headlines from Whitsunday. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Facebook post featuring an image of a cyclone-damaged Bundaberg road with the caption ‘Never underestimate an angry ex’ sparked a social media furore.
Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm shared the post to publicly call out the dangers of mocking domestic violence victims.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has apologised for the offensive Wednesday morning Facebook post, which was removed and replaced after multiple commenters including Ms Camm pointed out “domestic violence is no joking matter” and labelled the post “disgusting”, “appalling” and “in unbelievably bad taste”.
TMR addressed the criticisms in its own Facebook comment, stating on its page just before 11am it was “committed to preventing all forms of violence against women, children and men” and apologising for the blunder.
Ms Camm had earlier that morning published screenshots of the original post on her own public Facebook and Twitter accounts, admonishing TMR for “minimising the very real experiences of many DV victims”.
“Clearly we have a long way to go to educate what is acceptable and how big an issue domestic violence is when a government department is posting this content,” she wrote to her followers.
Speaking to this publication, Ms Camm acknowledged TMR’s post “may have a been written with a different context intended” but maintained “The Queensland Government should know better”.
“This is not about political correctness going too far – this about a community awareness that domestic violence is a real issue that does not discriminate and the need for those who have influence and the privilege to share messaging are sensitive to the violent reality that too many in our community live with,” she said.
“As Shadow Minister [for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence] is it my responsibility to speak on behalf of those who can’t and call out unacceptable examples such as this communication.”
As part of its Facebook apology, TMR stated it often used “lighthearted language” to engage with and ultimately reach more Queenslanders with important information but removed the original caption as soon as it became aware it could be interpreted as a reference to domestic violence.
“We would never intentionally make light of such a serious issue,” the spokesperson wrote.
More Coverage
Originally published as Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm criticises Queensland Government for ‘distasteful’ Facebook post
‘Significant’ head injuries for man in bushland fall
Firefighters and paramedics are working to rescue a man after a nasty fall, who is currently responsive.
Meth trafficker tried to hide drugs in lasagne dish
The truck driver picked up via phone taps used his job on the road to ‘help a mate’ sell meth in large quantities, but his fingerprints were all over the bag.
Inside property group’s ‘opportunistic’ $100m eye on Mackay
A Brisbane-based property investor is aiming to invest as much as $100m in Mackay, and has already snapped up a few key locations.
‘Iconic’ seaside restaurant names its price
Ever wondered what a fully-fitted out restaurant would be sold for on the shores of a North Queensland town? These owners have named their price.
‘Atrocious’ child sex abuse writer spared jail time
A Queensland nudist wrote graphic sex abuse fantasies about children that he shared with others online after claiming he was “intrigued” by a group chat.
40+ heritage buildings, popular landmarks which shape regional Qld
From beautiful 19th century heritage listed edifices to quirky historical landmarks, we list some of the remarkable structures which shape regional parts of Queensland.