Australia’s top bureaucrats want parliament to curtail politicians posting clips to social media of senior public servants answering questions before parliamentary inquiries.

The Secretaries Board is a committee of the heads of federal government departments, some of whom have million-dollar salaries. It has made a submission to a parliamentary inquiry saying it is:

concerned about the increasing use of excerpts from committee proceedings on social media, particularly where material is presented without context and exposes officials to ridicule, hostility or abuse.

concerned about the increasing use of excerpts from committee proceedings on social media, particularly where material is presented without context and exposes officials to ridicule, hostility or abuse.

The Secretaries Board said it is concerned about officials being “publicly criticised”. It wants parliament “to prevent the use of this evidence on social media”.

Politicians often post clips online of senior bureaucrats giving what ordinary members of the public would consider evasive answers to questions asked by politicians during parliamentary hearings.

Limiting politicians from posting these clips to social media undermines responsible government and may even be unconstitutional.

What does the Secretaries Board want?

The Secretaries Board submission does not expressly ask for an outright ban on posting clips online of bureaucrats giving evidence to parliament. The clever skill with words displayed by top bureaucrats in some answers during parliamentary hearings........

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