MP Admits Using Electoral Roll to Identify, Visit Online Critics

A woman's hands using a laptop keyboard on Aug. 16, 2013. (Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)

Labor MP Barry O'Rourke has revealed he uses information from the Australian electoral roll to identify online “trolls” and pay them a visit at home.

The member for Rockhampton, however, later explained via social media that what he intended to say was that he made a note to visit those people during routine door-knocks.

Speaking on 4RO radio, Mr. O'Rourke had originally said people would often leave “yucky” comments on his social media accounts, which he would respond to by looking them up and going to their homes.

“I then go on to Facebook and I track them down to see who they are, then I see if they’re on the electoral roll and if they’re on the electoral roll I love going round to visit,” he said.

“You should see them, they turn into the most placid people and are just so nice to your face and I just think it’s a bit of karma. I love it.”

Mr. O'Rourke’s comments have drawn criticism from political opponents, who say his actions were out of line.

The federal member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, whose electorate includes Rockhampton, called on Mr. O'Rourke to resign.

“To show up on a constituent’s doorstep to dress them down on Facebook comments is not on,” she said in a statement on social media.

“The Labor Party seem to think they can do what they want and continue to get away with it. This is wrong on so many levels.”

One Nation’s Keppel candidate James Ashby said he felt it was out of character for Mr. O'Rourke, and that it was the wrong way to use the electoral roll.

“For the most part, Barry is a likeable character, but he’s made a major blunder in outing himself for this behaviour,” he said on social media platform X.

Meanwhile, Queensland Liberal National Party MP Jarrod Bleijie labelled Mr. O'Rourke’s actions “dangerous” and “bizarre.”

O'Rourke Explains His Position

Mr. O'Rourke, who labelled a Courier Mail report on his radio confessions a “ridiculous beat-up,” apologised and said he had been taken out of context.

The Queensland MP also said he was a target of bullying in both real life and online, and had tried to make a point that most times people who abuse others online, will back down in the real world.

“In the pre-Facebook days you could disagree with people without it turning to abuse,” he said on Facebook.

“There’s something in the way these platforms are designed that brings out the worst in us.”

Mr. O'Rourke admitted to using the electoral roll to look up people who he says abused him online, in order to check if they were a real person or a generic troll.

He said he then made a note of including their address in his regular door-knocks.

“I don’t treat them any differently to their neighbours, I don’t mention their behaviour on Facebook, I just introduce myself and have a chat,” he said.

“This gives them an opportunity to raise their concerns in person, without the distorting influence of social media.”

Queensland Labor Premier Steven Miles spoke to media regarding the incident, saying he wouldn’t use the same words as Mr. O'Rourke, but he would endeavour to call, email, or visit a constituent in that situation.

Electoral Roll Rules

The electoral roll can be viewed by the public at any Australia Electoral Commission (AEC) state office.

For members of the public, they must not photograph or record information from the roll.

MPs, senators and political parties are allowed, under the AEC’s Electoral Roll Australia Data Use Guidelines, to use information from the roll for any purpose in connection with an election or referendum, to research electoral matters, to monitor the accuracy of electoral roll information, or the performance of an MP or senator in relation to enrolled constituents.

They must not go on to disclose the data, with penalties applicable for doing so.

The AEC was contacted for comment by The Epoch Times on Mr. O'Rourke’s actions.