WALLSEND MP Sonia Hornery has taken a stand against "garbage" online threats and abuse that have escalated from Facebook trolling to "extreme line crossing".
While she accepts life in the public eye can put her in the firing line, she's taking a zero tolerance approach to keyboard warriors - promising to block users who send inappropriate messages and report them to police.
"We're all human beings, we're trying to do our best and inform our communities in the best way we can, and the intense negativity of some people and nastiness doesn't help anybody else," she said.
"It was getting out of hand and it is upsetting, it goes beyond the level of disagreement to rudeness and nastiness - other people are reading that and they don't need to.
"Yes I am a public figure and I accept I need to have a thicker skin, my skin has certainly grown very thick in my time in politics ... I want to protect our community, not just protect myself."
Screenshots of messages sent to Ms Hornery reveal users threatening her and slinging abusive names.
One message read, "Go and f--- your self i don't f---ing vote for you and when i see you hope you f---ing burn in hell," followed by, "I wouldn't p--- on you if you were on fire id pour fuel on instead [sic]".
Others have sent inappropriate messages to her Facebook or Instagram account asking her on dates, to which she jokingly quipped, "unless you are Brad Pitt, please don't ask me out".
Often the users comment under fake profiles, and Ms Hornery said she wouldn't tolerate someone walking into her office and abusing her or her staff and the same goes for social media.
"I have to say the vast majority of people are really good, grateful and appreciative of the work we do - clearly it's a minority and often an anonymous minority as well," she said.
She said racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism or any other discriminatory comments won't be tolerated.
A 2021 study by Australian National University PhD candidate Medha Majumdar into the impact of violence against women in federal politics found experiences of abuse and harassment had forced women to abandon aspirations of political leadership.
Of the 30 women who took part, 83 per cent said they had been harassed, intimidated and verbally abused in the course of their work.
Another 74 per cent said abuse and harassment had a negative impact on their interest in continuing a career in politics.
The study found that in part "abuse is the product of having a public profile" but while male MPs also receive abuse, women are more often subjected to explicitly sexual and violent threats.
Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison said she doesn't cop a lot of abuse on her page, but six months out from an election there's often more "strident criticism".
"I figure people see what other people write, I don't need to explain or defend myself when someone goes abusive," she said.
"It also means it's more manageable because people know I won't fan a fire with them to stoke their bonfire.
"It has happened before - I was talking about my sexual assault a few years ago before Me Too [the movement] and someone went crazy, my staff just said to get rid of it but I think it says more about them than it does about me."
Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison said she isn't often targeted with online abuse, but she made a conscious decision three or four years ago to disable direct messages on social media.
"I might have criticism but I don't get attacks, I don't have direct messages on my Facebook so anything that people post they have to post publicly," she said.
"I just figure there's lots of ways people can talk to me and they don't need to direct message on Facebook."
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
