Now Reading: Labor MP Liesl Tesch questions social media value after man charged with threatening her
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Labor MP Liesl Tesch questions social media value after man charged with threatening her
Labor MP Liesl Tesch questions social media value after man charged with threatening her
A man has been charged over alleged threats made to NSW Labor MP Liesl Tesch, who says it is not the first time she has been abused in public office.
A 43-year-old man was charged yesterday with using a carriage service to threaten the Central Coast MP with serious harm.
He was released on conditional bail and will face court in September.
Ms Tesch told 702 ABC Sydney the incident had made her question the value of using social media as an MP.
“It’s something that’s almost part of the life that we live online,” Ms Tesch said.
“I think it’s women in public life in particular and female journalists that really get the brunt of the harm that’s caused on there.
“My concern is that anonymous or those pseudonym names, whatever it is, that they’re just, it just empowers … faceless people to make calls that really do cause harm.“
Recent research highlights problem
The arrest was made in the same week a report by the non-profit organisation Women For Election found 90 per cent of 110 women running or elected to office have experienced online abuse or intimidation.
Licia Heath says social media companies need to be held to account. (Supplied)
Half of the women considered not running again or withdrawing from running, the survey found.
Women For Election CEO Licia Heath said some of the abuse was not reported because women felt it would be weaponised against them in some way.
“The solution here is not for women to get tougher. It is to go to the root cause, which is the systems and the tech platforms,” Ms Heath told 702 ABC Sydney.
Ms Heath wants to see rules changed to protect councillors in NSW local government, who are required to publish their addresses.
“The overseas research is showing now … that online threats are increasingly leading to physical threats,” Ms Heath said.
“I feel like we’re waiting for someone to be killed in office, particularly in local government.“
Ola Hamed’s car was set alight in April this year. (ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowring)
Cumberland Mayor Ola Hamed said her car had been set alight due to her position on council.
Cr Hamed said she was often the target of abuse that cited her gender and her Muslim faith.
“We’ve had women councillors only two weeks ago be told that somebody was going to come around and kill them and their family,” Cr Hamed said.
“This is a cultural issue and it needs to change.”
NSW Police are investigating the April incident that happened outside her home.
Rise in anonymous comments
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told the ABC this week there had been a rise in people using social media to make “cowardly” comments using false identities.
“In New South Wales, the majority of offences require an intent. So if someone is threatening or posting a comment that would be a threat, we need to make sure that there’s an intent for it.”
“But there are Commonwealth offences that we regularly prosecute people for inciting people online to harass, menace, or be offended.”
