Now it's personal

[Lt. Fred]

Lt. Fred is absolutely furious.

A friend and a former lecturer of mine has been viciously slandered by the Communications Minister, Malcom Turnbull.

Communications Minister-elect Malcolm Turnbull has savagely attacked a University of Queensland lecturer for a seemingly innocuous article analysing rising online dissent towards the Coalition’s NBN policy, inaccurately labelling the academic’s article as “false” and “misleading”, and claiming that it was “a disgrace”...

However, in a statement posted on his website last week, Turnbull rejected the Change.org petition. “The promoters of this petition apparently believe that we should ignore the lengthy public debate on the NBN that preceded the election and also ignore the election result,” said Turnbull. “We should within days of the election walk away from one of our most well debated, well understood and prominent policies. Democracy? I don’t think so.”

Turnbull’s statement was immediately met by criticism by a number of online commentators.

In a post on The Conversation, University of Queensland communications lecturer Sean Rintel pointed out that furore had erupted on social media following Turnbull’s response and that the community was rejecting Turnbull’s stance on the issue. And opinionated online commentator and IT professional Kieran Cummings, who has consistently been a fierce critic of Turnbull and the Coalition’s NBN policy, accused the Liberal MP of “hypocrisy” on the issue, given that he had supported similar petitions in the past on other issues.

In response, Turnbull once again today went on the attack, publishing a statement yesterday rejecting the criticism which had been levelled at him.

The Member for Wentworth first attacked Rintel, who he accused of “misrepresentation” of Turnbull’s view. “His first misrepresentation is in the first paragraph where he writes that social media users “are mobilising against … Malcolm Turnbull’s claim that “democracy has spoken” on the issue of the NBN”,” wrote Turnbull. “I am not sure what the University of Queensland means by “Strategic” Communications, but I doubt they mean “false” or “misleading”.”

Sean is one of the best lecturers at UQ. I am honoured to call him a friend, I hope he would also call me one (this is probably revealing exactly who I am, by the way). I have so many feels, even hours after I got this news. In particular it's such a shock to hear that a friend is being attacked by the fucking Minister, so early in his government.

http://delimiter.com.au/2013/09/16/youre-disgrace-turnbull-slams-lecturers-accurate-nbn-analysis/?utm_content=buffer93fbb&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

[Witchyjoshy]

Geez, Australia's going to hell in a handbasket very quickly :S

[PosthumanHeresy]

I don't see how you are revealing who you are, unless you're a co-worker of his, too.

[chitoryu12]

Is Fred a university professor?

That would be.....quite the revelation.

[Lt. Fred]

I'm anything you want me to be chitoryu.

I'm a little annoyed nobody cares about my specific personal interface with the new government.

[Morgenleoht]

Fred, we know the Ab-bots are dicks. Your experience is just the first of several personal interfaces that will occur. I'm sorry about your mate getting insulted. But most of us folks in Australia have slightly more pressing and personal concerns involving the new government.

[chitoryu12]

Also, a LOT of people have a personal beef with the government. It may not be as specific as a friend being slandered, but quite a few of us have something we'd like to say. We can't run around ranting and saying "I lose my faith in humanity yet again" every time someone brings up a problem.

[m52nickerson]

It's not personal Fred, it's politics.

[mellenORL]

Personally, I'd find it both infuriating and creepy as fuck if a friend of mine was getting publicly attacked by a powerful politician. It's like a matter of scale, really. Sorry fred. Hope nothing this fucking bully pol says can actually damage his professional reputation with those who matter to him. And I hope no Oz equivalent of a teahadi fundie psycho stalks him.

[Lt. Fred]

It's not personal Fred, it's politics.

Personal in the sense that it personally effects me.