Newfoundland and Labrador's finance minister says she has received an outpouring of support from colleagues across Canada since speaking out against her online abusers, but the onslaught of offensive gender-targeted messages has not shown any sign of slowing down.
Cathy Bennett hosted a women-only press conference on Monday in the St. John鈥檚 legislature where she shared 鈥渧ery disturbing鈥� images with reporters. She did not release the most explicit remarks or identify her abusers. Some of the comments reportedly encouraged her to take her own life and suggested a bounty be put on her head.
鈥淭he messages made me feel horrible and scared and very ashamed,鈥� Bennett told CTV News Channel on Tuesday.
The backlash against Bennett reportedly ramped-up last spring in the wake of a particularly contentious provincial budget that included a number of spending cuts despite significant tax and fee hikes. She says the level of abuse she has faced has gone far beyond the typical jabs that accompany life in politics.
鈥淭here is a fine line between what is considered to be respectful discourse and cyber abuse that crosses the line. I don鈥檛 think it is acceptable for women to go through this,鈥� said Bennett, who is also the minister tasked with overseeing the status of women in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Bennett says women in politics tend to receive a different brand of abuse than their male counterparts.
鈥淭he language is very specific to our sexuality, to sexual exploitation. I think the tone is very, very different for women,鈥� she said.
Bennett is among a growing number of female politicians calling attention to violent threats.
Calgary MLA Sandra Jansen received a after a fiery response to threats and abuse she endured on Twitter and Facebook. Jansen, a former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister and one-time party leader hopeful, drew harsh criticism for her decision to cross the floor to join the Alberta NDP.
Comments against Jansen ranged from the suggestion that she 鈥渟tay in the kitchen, where she belongs,鈥� to names like 鈥渄umb broad鈥� and 鈥渦seless tit.鈥� Others recommended that she be stoned to death or should have been aborted at birth.
Last year, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley faced violent threats on social media following the passage of new farm safety legislation. Notley recently addressed chants of 鈥淟ock her up鈥� at a rally protesting her plans for a carbon tax, calling the threat concerning.
鈥淣obody in our province or in our country expects the language that is used in some of these posts is acceptable in any situation,鈥� said Bennett. 鈥淭o attract more women to politics, we are going to have to change the expectation around this.鈥�
