By Jolene Ogle
STATE politics is getting dirty with the tension between the Greens and current MP Glen Elmes reaching new lows this week.
Mr Elmes has hit out at the Greens, saying he is outraged following a series of tweets that attacked him and the LNP party, accusing the Greens of character assassination.
Two tweets were posted on the Noosa Greens twitter account on Sunday 11 September. One read: “Hey @GlenElmesMP – how come you have removed #LNP logo from your website? I get your shame” and another said, “@GlenelmesMP has removed #LNP logo from his website – is he standing as an Independent? Or ashamed of membership with party of child abusers”.
Mr Elmes said the LNP party logo had not been removed from his site as it was never there in the first place.
A spokesperson for Mr Elmes confirmed the logo was never on the site as Mr Elmes “believes he represents all electors not just those who support the LNP”.
“There is no place for this sort of behaviour in the parliament, indeed not in any community where trust and decency must prevail,” Mr Elmes said.
Greens member Joe Shlegeris said the Noosa Greens Twitter account must have been hacked as he believed no-one would write such things.
“I don’t say things like that,” he said.
But Noosa Greens convenor Steve Haines confirmed he wrote the tweets, and said they were an “emotional response” to LNP’s policies that support “off-shore detention of children”.
“I was intemperate,” he said. “I work in mental health, so I am very sensitive to and mindful of the trauma children face and how the LNP support policy that perpetuates the trauma of children held in detention centres.”
Mr Haines said there were a range of other “terms” he could have applied to Mr Elmes including “reef wrecker” in regards to the recent vote on legislation that the Greens believe would affect the future of the Great Barrier Reef.
Greens members will face pre-selection this Saturday 17 September with a number of Noosa residents hoping to be chosen as the candidate for the State Election.
Mr Elmes said the tweet alone “reveals the Greens’ true colours”.
“This is not a playground, and rumours and gossip are not going to cut it, particularly actions that may be considered to be unlawful and illegal,” he said.
“Voters are sick and tired of this sort of behaviour and they should be. Elected representatives are voted to lead and listen, and to set a good example; not to lie, divide and act with reckless abandon.”
The tweets have since been deleted from the Noosa Greens account and Mr Haines said he would offer an apology to Mr Elmes.
