Women should enter politics regardless of 'keyboard warriors': Edwards – Bendigo Advertiser

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“To any woman or young woman who is thinking about a career in politics, I would say ‘go for it’.”
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Those are the words of Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards in an interview with The Bendigo Advertiser, and one of her first interviews since announcing her impending retirement on August 27.
After what has been a turbulent year for the Victorian Labor Party, with poor polling, the replacement of Jacinta Allan as Premier, while also facing a public misogynistic campaign, Ms Edwards does not want women to lose heart and has offered some advice.
“Ensure that you have supports in place, to surround yourself with people who will, in some ways, protect you and give you confidence that you can do public serviced without having that barrage of insults and disrespect across social media,” she said.
It is the abuse by “keyboard warriors,” as Ms Edwards described them, which has become a frustrating aspect of public life.
“What bothers me intensely is the open slather of abuse and misinformation, and disinformation and misrepresentation that occurs on social media sites, that detract from the respectful debate that is required for a democratic system to work appropriately,” Ms Edwards said.
However, when out there in public the tone is different.
“If you are out there and you’re doing face-to-face engagement with people in the community, it is very, very, very rare to have anybody abuse you,” she said.
On top of wrapping up her duties as Speaker and the Bendigo West MP, Ms Edwards has another goal she is focused on.
“[I’m] looking forward to working very hard to ensure that Bendigo West is retained by the Carroll Labor government, and whoever the candidate might be, I’ll be working hard to make that they are elected,” Ms Edwards said.
The Bendigo West MP said she is “feeling quite relaxed,” about her decision to retire at the state election.
“It’s a decision that has been sitting at the back of my mind for many months.”
Her choice to retire was contributed by a personal tragedy.
“After my husband Steve passed away last year, I have thought long and hard about what my future looks like,” Ms Edwards said.
That future will now be more time with loved ones.
“My 13th grandchild is about to be born in a few weeks, and so I’m very much looking forward to spending more time with my children and my grandchildren.
“They, of course, are my world and I’m really, really looking forward to having a bit more time with them,” Ms Edwards said.

The election will be held on Saturday, November 28.
Sydney boy living Bendigo and passionate about sharing our stories, while holding people to account.
Contact me on joseph.najjar@acm.media
Sydney boy living Bendigo and passionate about sharing our stories, while holding people to account.
Contact me on joseph.najjar@acm.media
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