The following is a depiction of my experience. In no way is this description meant to suggest that it is the experience of all politicians, or even all women in politics.
At work, there are filters on our emails so that we and City staff don’t receive commentary that includes graphic or exceptionally abusive language. Those filters are in place because we’ve received emails that no one should be subjected to. The person I know who receives the most awful emails is one of the kindest, most thoughtful and gentle people I’ve met - I can’t imagine what it’s like for them receiving these emails.
When I’m attacked on social media (rarely), I assume the person attacking is hurting because people who are well don’t generally try to hurt others - and I don’t respond. I don’t go places where I’m likely to see people saying awful things about me or my colleagues. My kids are too young to be targeted by those upset by my actions, but I know the children of others in the region have been attacked.
I’ve never been threatened to the point where the RCMP stepped in, but I know at least two politicians in the region who have over the last year.
In-person, the vast majority of people are lovely, even when they disagree with our decisions. The only time that I’ve felt physically unsafe was early in the term. I was at an event with my children when a resident became... upset. I remember physically moving my kids behind me as this man raised his voice and moved into my personal space. I doubt he realized how his behaviour would be perceived by me or my children because threatening language and posturing is often taken for granted as normal in public service. In talking to an long-time public servant recently, they commented that no amount of abuse ruffles their feathers anymore because they’d become so accustomed to it.
Most abusive behaviour I see is subtle - veiled threats, vaguely demeaning language, dismissiveness, creepy advances, “joking” sexual innuendo - and thankfully is not an everyday occurrence.
And although the following Tweet wasn’t directed to anyone in particular and was intended as a joke, it highlights how many feel that public servants, including politicians, are fair-game for being victimized:
I want the culture that tolerates abusive behaviour to end, but I also want anyone considering entering politics to understand that some days are challenging.
Many people don’t realize the harm they are causing and when faced with the reality of the impact of their words or actions, they are genuinely remorseful. That is what happened in the case of the above social media post, and I suspect what would have happened in the situation with my children had I been prepared to call someone out on bad behaviour. As more of us become comfortable with being uncomfortable by letting someone know that it’s not ok to threaten or demean politicians or staff, we will change the culture that allows abuse to happen.
This was the continuation of the Twitter discussion about making politicians break down:
The advice I’ve received about handling this kind of behaviour is to ignore it and look the other way, which is effective in terms of limiting the abuse directed at me. I rarely receive hateful email or social media messages, I suspect because I don’t play the game. One of my favourite sayings is that one should “only feed the trolls if you wish to keep them as pets”, which is accurate in my experience. That said, there is value in calling out people who genuinely fail to realize that there are people at the other end of the emails, social media posts, and public consultation tables. It’s a balancing act.
As for the support we have when we’re dealing with these issues… I suspect we each have our own ways of not letting emails, social media posts, or in-person encounters distract from the work of making our community the best possible place to live. I have certain politicians who I’ll reach out to when I want to vent about an experience, a few friends outside the industry who are amazing at reminding me that our work matters, and a spouse who is my rock. We’re also lucky to have exceptional staff at the City St. Albert - They do everything in their power to reduce the impact of abusive behaviour on Council and on each other.
Although this description seems grim, it is not the dominant feature of my job by any stretch. I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe my luck at being able to interact with so many incredible community-builders, people who are nerdier than I am when it comes to environment, inclusion, diversity, and economic vibrancy. For anyone hesitant to run because of these kinds of experiences, know that the kind and thoughtful people outnumber the cruel by a wide margin. And know that there will always be moments of exceptional kindness and accomplishment that can be your anchor. And that good people in leadership positions can move the dial forward in terms of how public servants are treated - You can make it better for those who lead next.
Natalie was elected to the St. Albert City Council for the 2017-2021 term and would be honoured to serve again from 2021-2025. For those wanting to support Natalie’s campaign, please consider signing up for a lawn sign or offering a donation. Thank you for your support!
For anyone considering running in the 2021 election, please feel free to reach out to chat if you’d like to know more about what the Council role entails. Before I ran, I met with all but one sitting councillor and a number of former councillors and mayors. All provided insight into the role and helped me understand whether I wanted to run. A Candidates Guide: Running for Municipal Office in Alberta is also an important resource for anyone considering a run.
