Hutchison’s Twitter Account Deleted
August 22nd, 2010 | by Jen |ABC Perth Mornings host Geoff Hutchison was yesterday forced to delete his Twitter account after posting offensive comments about Tony Abbott on Monday night.
Hutchison was tweeting in response to the Opposition Leader’s appearance on the ABC public-debate style program Q&A.
He reportedly quoted Mr Abbott calling gay people “morally dubious, but big tobacco is all right by me”, and followed the tweet with his own comments.
“Tony, why are you frightened of intercourse with Julia? Is it because we will be watching and measuring?” he wrote.
“I have gay Muslim friends, says Tony. But I don’t really like them.”
The “hutchabc” Twitter account was deleted after ABC management was alerted to the tweets.
ABC Radio spokesman Warwick Tiernan said the comments had breached the ABC’s social media policy.
“Geoff’s comments, posted on a personal Twitter account, do not meet ABC social media guidelines and do not represent the views of the ABC,” he said.
“Geoff has been reminded of his obligations under the ABC’s Social Media Guidelines and that any future use of Twitter should be in accordance with ABC policy.”
The guidelines, launched by ABC managing director Mark Scott late last year, encourages ABC staff to use social media to “engage existing and new audiences”.
Under the rules staff are directed not to mix “the professional and the personal in ways likely to bring the ABC into disrepute” and not imply the ABC endorses personal views.
Hutchison’s Twitter page only mentioned he worked at the ABC in his account name. The page didn’t include a statement branding the views as his own.
He’d previously commented on former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s gall bladder surgery by tweeting: “BP called in to try to cap Kevin Rudd’s bile duct. Not hopeful. “This one’s a gusher!” cries Dudley.”