Threatening politicians is no joke

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/06/2024 (508 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s in no way acceptable, but it’s increasing steadily.

Politics at all levels is becoming an alarmingly dangerous and threatening business, and people are leaving as a result.

Pam Damoff, the member of Parliament for Ontario’s riding of Oakville North—Burlington, had this to say in a recent letter to her constituents: “While I know that I still have something to offer Canada, Ontario and my community, the hyperpartisan nature of politics today is not the environment that I see myself serving in … The threats and misogyny I have experienced as a member of Parliament are such that I often fear going out in public, and that is not a sustainable or healthy way to live. Quite simply, politics is no longer for me and so it is time for me to turn the page on this chapter.”

Another Liberal MP, Julie Dzerowicz who represents Davenport: “Every time there’s vandalism or my staff feels unsafe or threatened, I have to work with them to decide how we will continue to serve Davenport in a way that is safe … We do not sign up for our families to be threatened, for people to protest in front of our personal houses. We don’t sign up for our staff to feel unsafe and to not be able to do their jobs.”

How regular are the threats, and how seriously are they being taken?

“We continue to strongly recommend that constituency offices follow a ‘locked door’ policy. If an appointment with a constituent is necessary, Members or their employees should consider virtual meetings for the foreseeable future,” House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell wrote in a memo obtained by the National Post.

“There’s been a significant increase in the last five years in harassment of our members of Parliament, mostly online, but also in person and at events,” McDonell testified at a committee studying harassment on Parliament Hill. He described the increase as falling in the range of a 700- to 800-per-cent increase.

The numbers are quite shocking: McDonnell told the committee his office opened just eight files involving threats against members of Parliament in 2019. In 2023 alone, there were 530 new files.

And it’s not just members of Parliament who are feeling pressure from unruly members of the populace: in December of 2023, to address concerns about personal safety, Toronto city councillors received permission to expense up to $2,000 for security systems for their homes, and up to $100 a month towards security monitoring cost.

It’s a growing trend: London, Cambridge and Waterloo, Ont., also now pay towards home security for councillors, and the City of Calgary allows councillors and the mayor up to $8,000 for security system installation, and $100 a month for monitoring.

In Winnipeg, city councillors have called for an external review of city hall security, and some councillors have argued that there should be metal detectors at entrances as well.

But all of that is the effect part of cause and effect. And where we really should be putting increased energy is into the cause. Many things seem to have emboldened personal and public attacks, the wild west of social media among them. Our elected representatives are easily reachable, and there are plenty of tools to hide your identity.

But free speech isn’t freedom from consequences for your behaviour.

People who decide to threaten elected representatives should be fully investigated and charged for their actions. Even those who dash off anonymous online attacks have to understand that threats are threats, and that such threats will be dealt with according to law.

It’s not a game. It’s a crime.