Email fail to crime victim
Premier’s office apologises over ‘standard response’
The Premier’s office has apologised after being busted requesting a standard generic response be sent to a victim of crime after a staffer “replied all” to an email seeking help.
In a leaked series of correspondence obtained by The Courier-Mail, a Queenslander who says they have had their home broken into for the fourth time in two years writes to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk requesting “please take action now”.
“I don’t feel safe in my own house,” the person writes in an email dated May 25.
“Madam Premier, when are you going to actually do something to stop this?
“Please take action now. The people of Queensland have had enough.”
The person also sent the email to a number of people including Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, AttorneyGeneral Yvette D’Ath, Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter and a number of Townsville MPs.
But a staffer, seemingly meaning to forward the correspondence on, then replies to everyone, including the crime victim, saying send “standard response please”.
The victim then also “replies all”, describing the response as “typical of a government that has lost touch with its constituents and voter base”.
“No doubt this was a clerical error that should have been received by one of your minions before they were to respond with contempt and arrogance that comes with being in power for to (sic) long,” they write.
“Those in your office (are) charged with keeping the public at bay, deflecting, hiding from and basically covering your head while it remains in the sand.
“Your response is typical of a government that has lost touch with its constituents and voter base.
“It reeks of distain (sic) and ignorance and a total lack of respect for any person who has been a victim of crime in Queensland.”
The person then signs off with “looking forward to another STANDARD RESPONSE PLEASE”.
A government spokesman said the Premier’s office had reached out to the person directly on Thursday afternoon.
“The email was sent in error, and the Premier’s office apologises,” a government spokesman said.
“The Premier’s office reached out to the gentleman on Thursday, and the Police Minister has reached out today.”
The blunder comes after the government was slammed by a grieving Sunshine Coast family who claimed they found out Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath would not appeal a sentence given to a learner driver who killed their son via the media.