MP staffer requests to play Facebook games while on the phone to constituents

A staff member for a Liberal politician is allowed to play Facebook games while she's working because she needs a distraction to pass the time, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
 

 Victor Dominello, the Liberal MP for the Sydney seat of Ryde, received a service request from staffer Caroline Beinke asking to use her work computer to play Bejeweled Blitz.

 

"When I have long conversations on the phone to constituents it is my version of doodling, a mental chewing gum of sorts," she reasoned.

 

Ms Beinke, a former federal Liberal candidate in Kingsford Smith, wrote the request for "extended internet access" to the Department of Parliamentary Services and Mr Dominello signed off on it, saying "I have no difficulty with this request provided it is acceptable to the Clerk/Speaker."

 

Mr Dominello defended the decision, saying he had "no problem" as long as it didn't breach parliamentary guidelines.

 

"My staff work very very hard," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

 

"If they are sitting at their desk on hold to a department for 15 minutes, I do not have a problem with it."

 

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Richard Torbay, said that he would not approve access to gaming sites for use during work time.

 

"I have not seen this specific request but I can say this: I put filters in place to stop staff accessing inappropriate websites in the Parliament and I do not think we should be paying people to play games."

 

Bejewelled Blitz is a popular competitive Facebook game that only lasts 60 seconds. It involves rearranging jewels into lines.