By Lincoln Wright
AN ADVISER to Federal Labor MP Michael Danby has been accused of blackening the names of MPs and compiling dirt files on them.
Historian Dr Adam Carr works for Mr Danby, the member for Melbourne Ports.
Dr Carr has been accused of altering the online biographical entries of dozens of Labor MPs and Liberals, including Treasurer Peter Costello and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.
The widely used Wikipedia internet encyclopedia allows registered users to contribute and edit articles.
Two Labor MPs, Julia Irwin and Jennie George, complained to Opposition Whip Roger Price that Dr Carr had placed unpleasant biographical material about them on Wikipedia.
Dr Carr said he had written and edited many articles for the website, including "a large number" on MPs and senators, but denied any wrongdoing.
He said an anonymous user had subsequently added material to Mrs Irwin's entry about a speech she had given that was critical of Israel.
ReplyDeleteMrs Irwin, the member for Fowler, said she believed Dr Carr was "getting dirt on people".
"People who are ALP staffers should not be doing that type of thing," she said.
Ms George, the member for Throsby and a former ACTU president, is believed to have complained that Dr Carr wrote she was a member of the Communist Party in the 1970s.
The entry was later changed to describe her as an "alleged" former member.
The Whip would not comment, but it is believed he warned Mr Danby to rein in his staffer