The ACT's independent environment commissioner has agreed to a "unlike" a series of politically-charged social media posts, after they were called into question by the Canberra Liberals.
Commissioner Kate Auty's use of her office's Twitter account was scrutinised during annual report hearings on Wednesday.
Professor Auty runs the Twitter account, which frequently shares articles and commentary about environment-related topics to its more than 1720 followers.
Opposition environment spokeswoman Elizabeth Lee drew attention to a number of posts the account had 'liked' in recent weeks, which she said were not related to the environment and could be "taken as quite partisan".
Ms Lee pointed to a Twitter post from renewable energy expert Simon Holmes à Court, which appeared to question the lack of media coverage about an alleged close confidante of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
a deluded #AltRight nutter in #kirribilli house!
— 💧simon holmes à court (@simonahac) October 12, 2019
amazing how this story died so quickly — i mean, this deluded conspiracy theorist has been babysitting the prime minister's daughters.
not newsworthy? or killed by a suppression order?https://t.co/iPOVD62cO0
Professor Auty said she often 'liked" Mr Holmes a Court's posts because they were topical, but conceded this particular one wasn't and therefore "shouldn't have been there [on the commissioner's] page".
Labor committee member Tara Cheyne suggested Professor Auty might have mistakenly "liked" the posts while logged on to the commissioner's account, rather than her own personal account.
Professor Auty said her job meant she was constantly on the run and was in "no doubt" that there would be other posts which people might find "inappropriate".
🙀 @AngusTaylorMP spends more on travel in an average fortnight than the mayor & 9 councillors of @cityofsydney do in an entire year.
— 💧simon holmes à court (@simonahac) October 26, 2019
…& has the cheek to suggest they should cut down on travel!
fantastic. great move. well done angus.#AngusGate@CloverMoore#auspol#insidershttps://t.co/CJQ5Q4KzJG
"I'm happy to amend the record - it doesn't trouble me," she said.
"Happy to do it."
The commissioner is an independent statutory position, which reports to the ACT government.
