Bob Andersen has been selected as the Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate in the by-election for the Queensland electorate of Stafford. However, as it turns out, “Bob” is really “Jared”.
As Premier Campbell Newman announced the LNP candidate, psychologist Bob Andersen for the Stafford by-election, Twitter commentators in #qldpol began to ask questions.
Familiar to all as a fierce LNP supporter, why had he deleted his Twitter account, @Bob_Andersen?
Why did he create a new @Bob4Stafford account, only to suddenly delete it late this afternoon?
Tweeps dug deeper still.
Linked in detailed the experience and training of the registered psychologist known as Bob Andersen, working at Metro South Hospital in the “addiction and mental health services and private practice” area.
If he was registered, he should appear at the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). However, a search showed a “Mr Jared John Andersen” as the only Queensland psychologist with the surname.
How could Bob Andersen be presented to the media as a registered psychologist if he wasn’t appearing on the register?
A quick check of the Electoral Commission of Queensland’s disclosure returns for the LNP showed a match for a “Mr Jared Andersen” on the paged marked “Page 2 of 23”. He’d paid a pre-selection nomination fee of $1,000.00 on October, 6, 2008.
The AHPRA registration number of PSY0000957554 for Mr Jared John Andersen matched the Linked-In information for Bob Andersen of PSY0000957554.
How could two people have the same AHPRA registration number?
An Australian Business Number (ABN) search on the name “Andersen, Jared John” revealed the answer. “Bob Andersen” is a “trading name”. He is not a registered psychologist but the man behind that name, Jared Andersen, is.
Is it being honest, open and accountable to go into the by-election without full disclosure?
Could a man with multiple personalities be the one behind the multitude of anonymous LNP supporting Twitter accounts that inhabit #qldpol?
Many more questions remain, perhaps electoral ones.
You can follow for #StaffordVotes at the NoFibs by-election blog.
This piece was made possible with the help of @piedtyper888, @SaucepanMan1968, @badHealthqld and @YaThinkN.
(June 11, 2014) Update 1 – Jared Andersen to run as “Bob” Andersen
Jared John Andersen has told radio @NewsTalk4BC,“I go by Bob as a preferred name.”
The LNP candidate has told broadcaster, Ben Davis, that he will continue to run in the by-election as Bob Andersen.
“[Jared] is the name my parents gave me, I went by it until I was 18, but at uni my mate’s nicknamed me Bob and it really stuck like glue.”
Davis put it to Andersen that the nickname may cause confusion in the electorate.
“When it came to run for parliament, I just didn’t see how it would be viable to run as anything other than Bob, that is what everyone knows me as.”
“Obviously when you do something like a licence or something formal like that, you need to do it with your real name, but when I did that with the board, I also sent them an email that I go by Bob as a preferred name, so that they would know the situation.”
Andersen also denies he is behind pro-LNP anonymous Twitter accounts.
“I do not, and never have, operated a fake Twitter account.”
You can listen to the full interview here; “What’s in a name?”
(June 14, 2014) Update 2 – Signage confirmed as “Bob”
Out and about. The LNP team confirm Jared John Anderson is running on signage as “Bob” Andersen.
Young LNP team decked out in red wigs supporting our Candidate for Stafford Bob Anderson! #qldpol #staffordvotes pic.twitter.com/0q4Co6pFGw
— Luke Barnes (@ylnppresident) June 14, 2014