Andrew Gee, an independent politician from Calare in New South Wales (NSW), has found himself at the center of a social media faux pas reminiscent of a move previously made by Liberal MP Angus Taylor. This incident occurred when Gee posted a statement on Facebook accusing the Nationals party of engaging in “dirty tactics” at the outset of the election campaign, alleging they had spread false information about his preferences to an elderly constituent. In the posts’ comments section, Gee, seemingly responding to his own message, commended himself for being the “good guy” in contrast to the Nationals and the “Teal mob.” This self-praising comment was later removed, and interaction on the post was restricted to his followers.

Gee’s post and the subsequent controversy have drawn parallels to a similar blunder made by Angus Taylor in 2019, who congratulated himself on his Facebook page for an announcement about new car parks at Campbelltown station.

In response to these events, a spokesperson for Gee attributed the controversial post to a “new and inexperienced member of the campaign team” who had unauthorized access to Gee’s social media account. The spokesperson underscored that both Gee and the member of his team found the action to be “extremely disappointing and unacceptable,” affirming that Gee neither condones nor approves of such behavior.

Originally elected as a member of the Nationals in 2016, Gee made the decision to leave the party and align with the crossbench in late 2022 due to the party’s stance against the Voice to Parliament referendum. He is set to contest his seat again as an independent candidate.

These incidents highlight the importance of ensuring that all staff with access to a politician’s social media accounts are properly trained and understand the importance of authentic and transparent communication with the public.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/29/mp-andrew-gee-praises-himself-as-the-good-guy-in-facebook-fail-ntwnfb