Aussie nuclear skilled Rob Parker ‘cancelled’ after single tweet: ‘I am an engineer however I wished to cry’

A nuclear scientist who claims he was axed from presenting to a whole lot of friends after a single, vital tweet from renewables advocate and investor Simon Holmes a Court docket highlights the fraught debate round Australia’s vitality future. 

Rob Parker, who maintain masters levels in nuclear science and civil engineering, has additionally been a member of Engineers Australia for 30 years. He was on account of current ‘Learn how to keep away from an vitality blunder Down Underneath’ to greater than 400 friends at an Engineers Australia webinar final Wednesday.

‘The speak had been deliberate and signed off on months earlier than,’ Mr Parker informed Every day Mail Australia. 

‘Emails from head workplace all the way in which to the Newcastle workplace  – the place the speak was to be hosted. All of the approvals, every part was finished.’ 

However 24 hours earlier than he was on account of converse, the Teal’s primary monetary backer Mr Holmes a Court docket posted on X: ‘Significantly @EngAustralia? You are internet hosting an anti-renewables occasion for @NukeForClimate? i’d have thought your physique was devoted to bettering perceive [sic], not muddying the waters!’ 

Nuclear energy skilled Rob Parker (left)  and renewables advocate and investor Simon Holmes a Court docket (proper) 

 Simply minutes after the tweet went stay Engineers Australia responded on X: ‘Thanks Simon. This occasion has been pulled. This doesn’t meet our tips and we’re investigating the way it was scheduled.’ 

That tweet was shortly deleted by Engineers Australia and an electronic mail was despatched to friends stating ‘this occasion was cancelled because of the speaker being unwell’. 

Mr Parker informed Every day Mail Australia it was fully unfaithful that he was sick and he by no means prompt to Engineers Australia that he was. He solely came upon he was banned from the occasion he’d been invited to talk at through social media. 

‘They cancelled it on X earlier than even bothering to contact me. I used to be all able to go. This was a knee jerk response to Simon Holmes a Court docket winding them up on X.’

Mr Holmes a Court docket rejected Mr Parker’s declare saying: ‘The occasion was cancelled earlier than my tweet. The reporting on this problem is fake.’

Every day Mail Australia understands that the since-deleted tweet by Engineers Australia was purported to be despatched to Mr Holmes a Court docket as a direct message, slightly than be made publicly out there. 

Mr Parker says the deceptive and false excuse given by Engineers Australia for banning him – claiming that he was sick – is a breach of their very own code of ethics which requires integrity amongst members. 

‘They do not even stay as much as their very own requirements’, he mentioned. 

‘I am an engineer however I wished to cry.’ 

Rob Parker, who maintain masters levels in nuclear science and civil engineering, has additionally been a member of Engineers Australia for 30 years

Mr Parker accused the affiliation of partaking in ‘cancel tradition’ and pandering to ‘woke pursuits’. 

‘What they’re doing is sending out a message to all younger engineers that it’s okay to dissemble, it is okay to lie, it is okay to govern’, Mr Parker mentioned.

However Engineers Australia informed Every day Mail Australia that the occasion was cancelled previous to Mr Holmes a Court docket’s tweet: ‘On overview of the ultimate speaker notes, which had been obtained on Tuesday morning, the occasions crew shared the presentation with members of the administration crew who made the choice on Tuesday afternoon to cancel the occasion, earlier than our tweet response [to Mr Holmes a Court].’

A spokeswoman for Engineers Australia mentioned that the e-mail distributed to registered attendees claiming the occasion was cancelled as a result of Mr Parker was ‘unwell’ was ‘human error on our half’. 

‘The wrong occasion cancellation message was despatched. We maintain greater than 800 occasions throughout the 12 months and sadly on this occasion – procedural errors had been made.’  

Engineering Australia mentioned that whereas the organisation ‘encourages discussions’ together with about nuclear energy, ‘we should preserve our non-partisan stance’. 

Nevertheless, on the time of the Voice referendum, Engineers Australia fortunately advocated for the constitutional change although the referendum did not have bipartisan help. Opposition Chief Peter Dutton opposed constitutionally enshrining the Voice proposed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 

A spokeswoman for Engineers Australia rejected the suggestion advocacy for the Voice contradicted the declare ‘we should preserve our non-partisan stance’.

‘Engineers Australia supported a First Nations Voice to Parliament to make sure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals have a good say in selections affecting them, aligning with our values… we didn’t direct particular person votes however aimed to offer balanced info and foster respectful dialogue.’ 

The affiliation’s help for the Voice is ongoing and nonetheless prominently displayed on its web site.