MLA says her office threatened with phone call

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This article was published 20/06/2016 (3675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New Democrat MLA Nahanni Fontaine told the legislature Monday afternoon that her St. Johns constituency office received a threatening call last week after the murder of British Labour MP Jo Cox.

An anonymous man told Fontaine’s staff that “You better tell her, to watch what she says,” Fontaine told the house.

Her campaign for the seat was filled with vicious verbal abuse and social media attacks, and included one election forum in which 10 supporters had to escort her out of the building.

Unfortunately, the man had blocked his number, Fontaine said later in an interview, but it was obvious that he follows question period, because he demanded of Fontaine’s staffer to know what the MLA means when she says “Meegwetch, Madame Speaker,” though he pronounced it incorrectly.

“He clearly thought he had the right to call my constituency assistant and threaten me,” Fontaine said. “Enough is enough.”

Women who enter public life shouldn’t be “shamed or silenced or threatened,” Fontaine said.

Fontaine said she has filed a complaint with Elections Manitoba over incidents during the campaign.

During her professional career working with indigenous women suffering from violence and abuse, she has visited many jails and prisons, but never felt unsafe until a community forum during the election.

“Everybody just lost their minds,” she said. “I knew all of them, they were yelling right in my face. It was a lot of real aggression.”

She was escorted out by 10 supporters, said Fontaine. “One man stood screaming profanities at me, while saying I was going to get it,” Fontaine said.

“I have a longstanding offer from The Bear Clan,” for protection, Fontaine said.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca