Social media might be a challenging space to navigate, but watching as a local business owner launches a racist attack via a professional networking platform was as bizarre as it was offensive.

Here is a screenshot from LinkedIn, posted on Facebook by ACT Liberal MLA, Elizabeth Lee.

This is the work of Jeff Manny, who might be familiar due to the long-running air-conditioning business that features his name. According to The Canberra Times, Mr Manny sold that business more than a decade ago and is no longer associated with that company (despite the claims of his LinkedIn profile). Rather, Jeff Manny now operates a ‘Renewable Energy and Water’ business which was started early last year.

God only knows what the current owners of Jeff Manny Air Conditioning are thinking after paying for the goodwill in his company’s name. Both companies are likely to suffer reputational damage given that Jeff Manny chose to attack a sitting politician on personal grounds via an account that also promoted his business.

The lessons here are obvious: by taking such a stance, Mr Manny might have offended a LOT of potential customers. Is it the case that overweight people or the Asian community are not valued clientele? Could that consideration be extended to other minorities?

Well, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 has a lot to say about the provision of goods and services, and Jeff Manny’s particular predilections could land him in hot water. It would be interesting to see if someone of Asian descent asked for a quote from his company, only to be told by Jeff he was, “too busy”. Given his remarks are a matter of record in the public domain, would this be a breach of the law?

Perhaps...

The 'Golden Rule' of social media states that you should never say anything online that you wouldn’t say face-to-face. If this is the sort of thing Jeff Manny happily says to those around him, then there is every indication that his business dealings could be just as unpleasant.