MP HITS OUT AT ONLINE ABUSERS
NICOLLE Flint hit out at the “disgusting” online abuse she received in the past few days during an emotional speech to parliament on Thursday.
The Boothby Liberal MP broke down during the speech, in which she read out emails she received calling her a “rancid coward”, an “infamous and endless liar”, a “rulingclass slut” and an “intellectual disgrace”.
“The online abuse, trolling, victim-shaming and blaming, the complete denial of things I have suffered during my time in parliament that has been aimed at me over the past 48 hours, is disgusting and those involved should be ashamed,” she said.
The abuse came after Ms Flint used a speech on Tuesday night to call for the treatment of women to be above politics, accusing Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese of politicising the matter.
Ms Flint said she was “angry” at herself for getting emotional in the speech, but said: “I’m tired of the political fight, I’m tired of pretending to be brave. I’m tired of having to defend the fact that I’m a woman and, yet, here I am, having to fight and defend myself again.”
Ms Flint hit out at activist group GetUp for its statement on Wednesday defending its actions against her during the 2019 election campaign, where she was one of several MPs targeted.
She also hit out at journalists who had described her experience as a “politically motivated smear campaign against GetUp”, and women online who claimed she was “playing the gender card”.
“This has to stop,” Ms Flint said.
Labor MP Ed Husic spoke after Ms Flint to back her, and said the abuse was “completely unacceptable”.