Defence investigates Navy member's Facebook post about asylum seekers

Updated

A Navy commander has pledged to keep a close watch on his company's use of social media, after a Navy member made allegedly inappropriate comments about asylum seekers.

Defence has confirmed it is investigating the comments, which the member made on a friend's post about asylum seekers whose boat had sunk.

"More Asylum boaties sank in a boat trying to get here to jump on Centrelink and get free government housing," the post said.

The Navy member responded: '"I'm about to head out today to deal with these f------s."

The member has since changed his employment status on social media, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.

The Commanding Officer of HMAS Darwin, Terence Morrison, is leading 220 personnel to the Gulf as part of Operation Slipper.

He says all personnel will be expected to follow the Navy's guidelines on social media use.

"Communication with our family is very important and we have strict guidelines to our personnel which we will be complying with and my crew," he said.

"I'll have a very strong communications plan with them to make sure that they understand them and they oblige by them."

It has been a bad week for the Navy, which has come under fire for crossing into Indonesian territorial waters several times, forcing an official apology by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

The apology came as Indonesia said it is investigating reports Australia has begun turning asylum seeker boats back to Indonesian waters, a policy it opposes.

Topics: navy, defence-forces, defence-and-national-security, social-media, internet-culture, information-and-communication, refugees, immigration, community-and-society, australia

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