Online Abuse and Misogyny Against Local Council Candidates
Ms BURNET (Clark) - Honourable Speaker, this week representatives from across our state gather in Hobart for the Local Government Association of Tasmania's annual conference and I send a shoutout to all of those who are attending. I spent many years serving in local government and know firsthand how rewarding it is participating in democracy closest to the community. It is where decisions directly shape our streetscapes, local services, neighbourhood planning and communities.
With the forthcoming October local council elections, it is inspiring to see candidates stepping up to contest seats, particularly the strong representation of women who want to represent their towns, cities and communities. However, we must confront a damaging reality that directly threatens local participation and shakes the foundation of democracy. The sharp rise of targeted online abuse, gendered harassment and misogyny, as highlighted in federal inquiries into online safety and misinformation and I want to acknowledge retiring Greens senator, Peter WhishWilson, in his role, in those committee hearings. The digital landscape is increasingly weaponised by paid far-right trolls, fake accounts and automated bots. This is not robust political debate. It is systemic intimidation designed to demean, target and silence, particularly women in public life.
This is not harmless online chatter or standard political friction. This is deliberate gendered abuse. Women standing for public office face coordinated smear campaigns, intrusive personal attacks and aggressive online stalking that male counterparts seldom experience. When comments sections and social media feeds are flooded with misogynistic vitriol, the message sent to women is clear - your voice is not welcome here. This relentless hostility inflicts a heavy personal toll, driving talented women out of the public sphere and deters the next generation of community leaders from ever putting their names forward.
From my time on council, I know how essential diverse perspectives are at the decisionmaking table, as they are here. What does it say about the state of our public discourse when stepping up to serve your local community comes at the cost of personal safety, mental health and relentless, digital harassment? Democracy only works when everyone can participate safely without fear of targeted harassment or digital haranguing. Online abuse thrives on silence and bystander apathy. When we see misogyny, trolling or coordinated harassment targeting anyone online, we must not look the other way and we should support victims of this online abuse.
Honourable Speaker, we need complete accountability across our public discourse. I urge candidates and their supporters, community members and elected representatives alike to step in, call out toxic behaviour and stand beside those facing abuse. Protecting our local democracy requires us to actively defend the safety, dignity and equal participation of all who stand, and I wish them well.