Tasmania’s local government regulatory body has suspended Hobart City councillor Louise Elliot for two months following her use of historical Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) files in a politically charged social media post targeting Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds. The suspension, announced on Wednesday night, was issued by the Tasmanian Local Government Code of Conduct Panel after finding that Elliot’s actions breached multiple conduct rules.

The controversy centers on Elliot’s sharing of a decades-old ASIO briefing concerning former Labor senator Margaret Reynolds, the mother of Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds. The file, obtained from the National Archives of Australia, dates back to 1983 and includes surveillance related to Margaret Reynolds’ involvement with Indigenous advocacy, anti-conscription movements, and connections with the Communist Party of Australia (CPA). Although the file explicitly states Margaret Reynolds was not believed to be a member of the CPA, Elliot highlighted a section describing how Anna Reynolds’ father, historian Henry Reynolds, had attempted to join the Communist Party as a university student but was rejected.

Elliot’s post linked the historical material to the modern-day Greens party, asserting, “The Greens are today’s Communist Party, but with many more men in dresses and young girls with double mastectomies.” Council and panel members deemed the post “offensive and underhanded,” asserting it sought to cause political damage by implying communist sympathies through association with family members. The panel found that Elliot had failed to moderate incendiary comments from her supporters and disseminated misleading information.

Anna Reynolds initiated the complaint, emphasizing that communications requesting moderation had been sent to Elliot via email and social media prior to escalating the matter to the conduct tribunal. Reynolds also expressed concern that Elliot had a history of publicizing private correspondence on social media platforms.

Elliot defended her actions, arguing that the ASIO file is publicly accessible and that she was exercising free political commentary. She criticized the Code of Conduct Panel’s decision as arbitrary and suppressive of political speech, describing the regulatory process as an unelected bureaucratic body acting as “speech police” rather than upholding democratic debate. Elliot has previously challenged the panel’s authority and threatened legal action over earlier rulings but has yet to initiate court proceedings.

The Code of Conduct Panel concluded that Elliot’s conduct lacked justification despite her providing extensive documentation. It characterized her behaviour as intentionally harmful toward Reynolds and unrelated to any legitimate public interest. The suspension prevents Elliot from performing her duties as a councillor for two months.

Margaret Reynolds, who was unaware of the ASIO file until its public sharing by Elliot, told the panel she had no prior knowledge of the surveillance material.

This incident highlights ongoing tensions within Hobart City’s local council regarding political discourse, historical interpretation, and the boundaries of conduct on social media platforms.