Government MHAs' social media shows surprising activity

CBC News has learned that some provincial Progressive Conservative MHAs seem to belong to some unusual groups on their own Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Thefindings comea day after Ross Wiseman, the speaker of the House of Assembly, kicked NDP MHA Gerry Rogers out of the legislature for refusing to apologize for a comment someone else posted on a Facebook groupa group she'd been added to without her knowledge.

On Tuesday, Justice Minister Darin Kingnoted Rogers was a member of an anti-Kathy Dunderdale Facebook group, which contained a post that made death threats against the premier.

On Wednesday, CBC News looked at the Facebook and Twitter accounts of some Progressive Conservative MHAs.

According to the Facebook page for Mount Pearl South MHAPaul Lane, he has endorsed federal Liberal candidate Yvonne Jones.

Trinity-Bay de Verde MHA Charlene Johnson apparently scored 90 per cent on a "sexuality meter" on her Facebook page. Her site also includes links to bloody fight videos, which are boldly advertised as being "banned on TV."

Terra Nova MHA Sandy Collins had a professional Facebook page which advertised "pay day loans" which, by the government's own standards for social media, would be considered an endorsement.

Ray Hunter, the MHA for Grand Falls-Windsor-Green Bay South, has a Facebook page which showed a link to a petition against cuts made by his own government.

Mount Pearl North MHA Steve Kent endorsed the HeavyWeights Training Centre and its owner, Rob King. King has been under investigation by the RCMP for shipping ephedrine to the United States.

Government understands social media, says premier

On Tuesday, Dunderdale insisted her own members understand social media.

"We understand very well how Facebook works," said Dunderdale. "And as an MHA, when you're on Facebook, when you're engaged in Twitter, then you have to have an obligation to pay attention."

Dunderdale added that it's up to every MHA to monitor the comments posted on Facebook groups to which they belong.

Dunderdale's Twitter feed, however, showed that she is following an X-rated account which promotes pornographic videos.