“MY Facebook page represents my personal and professional identity”, says NSW Independent MP for Murray Helen Dalton, who regained access to her page following an appeal to Facebook’s Head of Politics and Government Outreach.
Mrs Dalton resigned from the Shooters Fishers and Farmers (SFF) party last week, after the SFF abstained to vote on a motion to block the issuing of floodplain harvesting licences.
Elected in 2019 to the seat of Murray as a member of SFF, Mrs Dalton said the party was “vindictive and petty” in removing her access to the Helen Dalton MP page shortly before her resignation.
“I created the page myself in 2015, before I joined the party,” Mrs Dalton said. “It represents my identity, so it’s only fair that I get to administer it.”
The SFF party leader Robert Borsak said in a statement last week that Mrs Dalton’s position was “untenable” after the party discovered she had been involved in water trading, though he conceded it was “fully legal”.
Sunraysia Daily made several requests for comment, but SFF did not respond by deadline. Mrs Dalton said she appealed to Facebook and the organisation decided to remove the SFF’s access after she provided documentation about her involvement in creating the page.
She said the page, which has 27,000 followers, was an important platform for her to communicate information in her role as MP, but also to share personal details.
“A few weeks ago, when my dad died, I posted his photos on my page – and received hundreds of condolence wishes,” she said.
“I use that page to provide information to my constituents as well as highlight community achievements and promote our campaign to get better mental health/hospital services in the bush.”
The Murray MP’s resignation from the SFF came following the party’s shift in policy regarding floodplain harvesting.
“These law changes really disadvantaged lower Darling communities and Murray River irrigators,” Mrs Dalton said at the time of her resignation.
The floodplain harvesting inquiry report in December found the NSW Government had “failed” to meet its obligations under the Murray-Darling Basin agreement by “allowing the unchecked growth of unregulated floodplain harvesting”, particularly in northern NSW.
While the inquiry recommended all floodplain harvesting was metered and measured before issuing any licences, NSW Water Minister Kevin Anderson said licences which the government had already issued to northern basin irrigators would be valid from July, this year.
The NSW Murray electorate includes Wentworth and Balranald Shires and Mrs Dalton said she expected both the SFF and the Nationals to run candidates at the next NSW election, calling it a “tough battle” ahead.
