[jackweirdy]

The recipe for government PR

- we don’t comment on individuals

- we don’t comment on hypotheticals

- we don’t comment on anonymous sources

- we don’t comment on politics.

TL;DR we don’t comment on anything, ask someone else!

[iamthemonster]

Before a policy is announced, we don't want to pre-empt the process of consultation and policy development, and an announcement will be made in due course. After a policy is announced, it's time to move forward with implementation, not quibble about details that are water under the bridge now.

[soraminazuki]

The policy of tracking critics of government policy and shunning them was never announced.

Democracy is predicated on an informed public. The government therefore needs to be transparent and accountable to the people. Being silent so they can feel like they're allowed to do whatever they please is only acceptable in an authoritarian society.

They've been caught red handed engaging in wrongdoing and refusing to explain themselves. There's no possible excuse for that.