Queensland MP refers abusive email to AFP

Labor frontbencher Terri Butler has referred a vile email, that called on her husband to kill their family in a car crash, to the Australian Federal police.

Opposition Environment spokeswoman Terri Butler’s time in Parliament has been marked by consistent abuse from anonymous online trolls. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Labor frontbencher Terri Butler has referred a vile email that called for her family to “have a fatal single-vehicle accident” to the Australian Federal police.

The Opposition environment spokeswoman shared the abusive email, which was sent to her husband at 2.25am yesterday, to highlight the misogynistic and violent threats she has faced during her seven years in federal parliament.

Labor MP Terri Butler has referred a vile email sent to her husband to the AFP. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“I don’t usually share things like this because the trolls see it as a victory when they get your attention,” she wrote on social media.

“But in the context of the last few weeks I thought it useful to say something about it. Specifically, our country has a long way to go before women can participate in society fully.”

The message abused the Griffith MP for her appearance and intelligence and called on her husband to kill their family in a car crash.

Ms Butler has two children with her husband, Troy Spence, a former Australian Workers’ Union organiser.

“Someone went to the trouble to look up his name and his professional email address,” Ms Butler wrote.

She later deleted a tweet with the email, saying her point had been made.

“Lots of female MPs cop much worse abuse than my family and I,” she wrote.

Ms Butler’s response follows The Courier-Mail last week revealing personal stories from politicians and other prominent Queensland women about abuse they have faced in their careers.