WA politicians grapple with social media abuse and scrutiny

Western Australian politicians are facing a new level of scrutiny in the digital age, with social media platforms amplifying criticism and abuse. The issue has sparked debate among politicians, with some calling for greater accountability online.

Politicians speak out against online abuse

Long-serving WA Labor minister Simone McGurk highlighted the perils of social media, sharing examples of the "bad language, threats of violence, and questionable grammar" she receives on her feeds.

"Once women got there [sic] foot into parliament were [sic] stuffed," one comment read.

"F**k I'd love to push that skank out the window," another person had written.

McGurk, who has been in parliament since 2013, said it was "incredible" to see how negative some comments could be.

"And often we find that it's not actually bots … it is actually real people who are deciding to put pretty vulgar, abusive content and feedback online," she told reporters on Friday.

"I really call on people, when they see that sort of behaviour and they know who might be behind it, that people call it out as well."

Cartoon controversy

Liberal MP Andrew Hastie also spoke out this week, taking issue with a cartoon posted by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on her social media account in July. The cartoon dubbed Hastie a "traitor" for giving evidence in a defamation case against SAS veteran Ben Roberts-Smith.

Hastie declared he would "never back down" from a fight with Labor and One Nation, saying there are "thousands, if not millions, of Australians around this country who would take offence at the use of the word 'traitor'"

"Because it doesn't just reflect on me, it reflects on veterans and also serving men and women in our uniform who believe in standards of conduct on the battlefield," he said.

Hanson has refused to delete the video, but her WA lieutenant, Rod Caddies, had a different view.

"I'm not going to condone calling anyone a traitor that served our country," Caddies told reporters on Thursday.

"I'd prefer every party, including our own party, have the temperature down."

Caddies also noted that he rarely speaks to Hanson, saying: "I hardly speak to Pauline. She leaves me to run WA and that's what I do … and I believe we set a standard here that is, I believe, you know, at a good standard."

Protests and AI-generated content

One Nation also faced criticism over comments made by MP-elect Luke Herdegen, who suggested domestic violence is a two-way street. Protesters gathered outside parliament, encouraging Herdegen to work out with them in a show of solidarity.

In a separate incident, an AI-generated pickle, "The Gherk", posted a satirical update about Herdegen, claiming he was not answering calls from his constituents.

Calls for greater oversight

Premier Roger Cook has called for greater oversight of social media, saying it's time for a "reckoning" when it comes to online behaviour.

"I remember the day that television got introduced into our house, and in those days we were all anxious about the impact that television would have on our society," Cook said on Tuesday.

"My parents used to limit us to 30 minutes of television a day, which meant you could either watch Gilligan's Island or Brady Bunch, you couldn't watch both."

"I think we're coming to the same point of reckoning when it comes to social media."