An independent MP has blamed a new staffer for a social media blunder after he appeared to praise himself in the comments of his own social media post on Friday so, uhh, happy election season baby!
Andrew Gee, the member for Calare in NSW, took to Facebook after the election was called on Friday to call out “dirty tactics” and “blatant lies” being used by other parties.
“It’s day 1 and the dirty tactics have already started,” Gee wrote on Facebook.
“This afternoon a constituent contacted my office who told us that she had been cold-called by a person who identified himself as someone from the National Party and who then told blatant lies about who I was going to preference in this election.”
One social media user took to the comments of Gee’s post to praise him for being the “good guy”.
“Thank you Andrew Gee MP I am new to the area and have received texts from the Nationals and seen nasty ads in the paper from the Teal mob,” the comment read.
The kicker, though, is that the comment came from Gee’s own official Facebook account in a very Angus Taylor move.
The comment was quickly deleted and the post has since been restricted to only allow Gee’s followers to comment.
A spokesperson for the MP has since claimed that the social media gaffe wasn’t actually Andrew’s mistake, blaming it on a new staffer instead.
“The comment was posted without Mr Gee’s knowledge by a new and inexperienced member of the campaign team who had access to the page,” a representative told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday.
“[The staffer] knows it was an extremely disappointing and unacceptable thing to do and which Mr Gee does not condone, approve of or support under any circumstances.
“The team member has expressed genuine remorse and distress, their duties have now been modified so it won’t happen again and we’re providing appropriate levels of care and support.”
Gee left the Nationals back in 2022 to go independent, claiming he is no longer a “true believer” of the party. At the time, Gee said he “fundamentally disagreed” with the party’s position on the Indigenous Voice and the handling of natural disasters.
“I feel that I can best represent the constituents of Calare and our region by speaking out on issues, free from party constraints and expectations,” Gee said at the time of his departure.
“The recent decision by the National party to oppose the Indigenous voice to parliament, and also witnessing the devastation our region has experienced over the past few weeks, has really brought home to me the importance of being able to stand up and be counted.
“I can’t reconcile the fact that every Australian will get a free vote on the vitally important issue of the voice, yet National party MPs are expected to fall into line behind a party position that I fundamentally disagree with, and vote accordingly in parliament.”
Gee’s social media blunder draws interesting parallels to Angus Taylor’s infamous gaffe — which he praised his own announcement of 1,000 extra carparks just weeks before the 2019 federal election.
“Fantastic. Great move. Well done Angus,” a comment from his own account read.
Taylor, who was previously the minister for cybersecurity, quickly deleted the comment.
Ultimately, the social media blunder did not cost Taylor his seat — with the member for Hume retaining his seat with 53.29 percent of the vote, despite the fact that the Liberal Party was expected to lose the election.
Gee will re-contest his seat for the first time as an independent, going up against his former party in Nationals candidate Sam Farraway, as well as Kate Hook (IND), Julie Cunningham (Labor), Ben Parker (Greens), and Jennifer Hughes (One Nation).
The 2025 federal election will take place on May 3.
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