Nicolle Flint slams online trolls for abuse in emotional Parliament speech

Nicolle Flint has fought back tears while blasting online trolls for the vile abuse she has been targeted with over the past 48 hours. Watch her latest speech.

Nicolle Flint has hit out at the “disgusting” online abuse she has received over the past 48 hours in an emotional speech in Parliament. 

The Member for Boothby broke down this morning in a speech where she read out emails she received calling her a “rancid coward”, an “infamous and endless liar”, a “ruling-class slut” and an “intellectual disgrace”.

“The online abuse, trolling, victim-shaming and blaming, the complete denial of things I have suffered during my time in Parliament that has been aimed at me over the past 48 hours is disgusting, and those involved should be ashamed,” she said.

It comes after she used a speech on Tuesday night to call for the treatment of women to be above politics, accusing Opposition leader Anthony Albanese of politicising the matter.

A sexism row also erupted in state parliament yesterday, after the opposition accused a government MP of labelling female politicians “the B team”.

An upset Nicole Flint spoke of the ongoing abuse, when she read emails she had received recently while speaking in the Federation Chamber, in Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage

In her speech today, Ms Flint said she was “angry” at herself for getting emotional in the speech, but said: “I’m tired of the political fight, I’m tired of pretending to be brave.”

“I’m tired of having to defend the fact that I’m a woman, and yet here I am having to fight and defend myself again.”

She hit out at activist group GetUp for its statement yesterday defending its actions against during the 2019 election campaign, where Ms Flint was one of several MPs targeted.

“I cannot believe that GetUp are claiming that the tens of thousands of phone calls their volunteers made calling me ‘evil’ and the groups of protesters following me around my electorate to hunt me down and intimidate me, often with a man who stalked me, was acceptable behaviour,” she said.

She also hit out at journalists who had described her experience as a “politically-motivated smear campaign against GetUp” and women online who claimed she was “playing the gender card”.

“It’s disgraceful,” Ms Flint said, and quoted emails she had received, one of which read: “No wonder you’re being stalked by someone, you deserve it. You’re a piece of crap.”.

Another told her not to use the “female cry tactic”.

Nicole Flint has blasted online trolls for the abuse she has received in the past 48 hours. Picture: Gary Ramage

One warned “please do not complain about the treatment you’re receiving as obviously this is your weak characteristic and others will capitalise on this trait.”

Another email said “I’m looking forward to seeing your demise” and that they did not believe her given the “filth” she was associated with, referring to the Coalition.

An expletive-ridden email called her “a most rancid coward and infamous and endless liar, a consummate, shrivelled dirtbag, a ruling class slut, an intellectual disgrace.”

Ms Flint, who has called in recent days for the treatment of women to be above politics, said: “This has to stop.”

Labor MP Ed Husic spoke immediately after Ms Flint to back her, and said the abuse she had been subject to was “completely unacceptable”.

“Our democracy is strengthened by being able to challenge ideas in a way that do not resort to what we have had to see experienced in this place,” he said.

“We must strive to do better,” he said, noting he had also been subject to abuse over his faith.

Liberal MPs Trevor Evans and Kevin Andrews went to support Ms Flint after her speech.