An alternate title to this post could well be Dick Adams staff don’t care about his constituents opinions.
Dear Mr Adams,
Yesterday I decided to ring your office in Perth, Tasmania and voice my concerns about the offshore processing of refugees.
Your own website Mr Adams clearly states that
My priority as the Member for Lyons is to listen to the community and work in the best interests of all my constituents.
As your local Federal Member of Parliament, please feel free to seek assistance from me if you have any enquiries in your particular area. My priority is dealing with those issues that are directly related with Federal Government such as Centrelink, Veterans Affairs, Health, Immigration, Superannuation to name a few. I know there are other issues that cross all government boundaries and I am happy to help with those as well.
So I felt pretty confident that I could ring your office, politely tell you that I was concerned about the offshore processing of refugees and then I could happily go about my business, secure in the knowledge that my federal member was listening to me.
What I didn’t expect Mr Adams was your female staff member to be extremely condescending and dismissive of my concerns. I did not expect to be rudely asked where I had received my information about the governments refugee policy. I certainly did not expect to hear a tone of condescension and incredulity when I told your staff member that I receive my information about current affairs via twitter.
Twitter? She scoffed, as if I had just said I received my news bytes via the fairy telegram service at the bottom of the garden.
That was the end of the conversation as far as the office lady was concerned, I could hear the derision and laughter in her voice as she dismissed me as another bleeding heart, lefty, greenie nutter.
And that stung.
Way to go Mr Adams.
I would like to remind you Mr Adams that it is the 21st century. It is also the 21st century in Tasmania.
I use twitter as my main means of information gathering about all world events.
I tweeted my displeasure at your offices condescension and dismissal of my concerns to my 3000 + followers
My tweet was then retweeted by two twitter friends within Tasmania with a combined following of 4000 + people.
You do the maths Mr Adams, three people in Tasmania with a follow count of 7000+ people between them, tweeting the one message.
That is a lot of fairies at the bottom of a lot of gardens.
Yours in despair,
Kim Ponds Rock
Southern Midlands.
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There is a good CHANCE the woman at the other end of the phone was Dee Alty. Former Hobart alderman & dick Adam’s wife.
No, that wasn’t the womans name at all. sorry.
And I rang my local member about the very same issue. A very guarded non-commital response. Dammit this is an issue that matters!
At least you received a guarded non-commital response. I received condescension and disdain. I agree with you this issue is a humanitarian issue and should be above politicking.
Way to go Ms Frogpond!
Thank you Sharon, I am still very cross though.
Spread that word Kim, make them take notice, well done!
I doubt they will take any notice Cherie. Dick Adams is in a very safe Labor seat but then again Denison was also a very safe Labor seat.
Well said, Kim. I’ve had similar experiences. Unfortunately, in most cases, (Mr. Adams in this case) don’t even get to know about these incidents & is often left to face the music to a tune that he hasn’t heard before.
It’s refreshing to see/hear you speak up & it is quite obvious that from the figures above that Twitter is far more effective than people realise, particularly people who scoff at it whilst at the same time knowing next to nothing about it.
I do hope that this will reach Mr. Adams and that he will deal with the matter & hopefully let his constituents know the outcome.
Thankyou Bob, I also hope that Mr Adams responds.
I never try to phone my MP. I send them an email instead and request a reply. Sometimes I eve get one! Although it usually says “your concerns have been passed on to the relevant person”. Hah!
I should have sent him an email River, it would have made me less stabby. I was totally stunned at her dismissal of twitter, it really was like I had just told her I was receiving messages from UFO’s. It is the 21st century, I wonder if they communicate via carrier pigeon?
we need more and more people like yo to voice and speak their mind… great job and keep persisting 🙂 x
Thanks Tahlia, I just blurt out whatever is bothering me at the time.
well said. am off to retweet it immediately 🙂