NSW MPs in row over ‘disgusting’ comments online

A female politician claims an opponent made “disgusting” comments about her and liked “sexist” messages online, but the other MP says there’s more to the story.

A female NSW MP has blasted a political opponent for failing to stand up to cyber trolls spewing sexist comments about her.

Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst said her upper house colleague – Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MP Mark Banasiak – had “liked” several of the comments directed at her on a Facebook page, and even responded encouragingly to a post she interpreted as suggesting violence.

Ms Hurst, a domestic violence survivor, spoke out about the rhetoric about a month after a bombshell review by the nation’s former sex discrimination commissioner revealed a toxic culture of harassment of bullying in state parliament.

“It’s unnerving hearing these things,” she said.

“This is exactly why we struggle to get more women into politics.”

The comments were made in response to a Sky News Australia debate between the politicians.

The comments about Ms Hurst were posted below a clip from a Sky News Australia program where she and Mr Banasiak were debating a new set of hunting regulations.

The AJP and the SFF, having mostly polar opposite views on hunting, regularly clash over the issue in parliament and in the media.

Mr Banasiak reacted to several of the comments under the Sky video, which was reposted by his party’s Facebook page, by hitting the like button from his official account.

The posts he gave the thumbs up to included one which said about Ms Hurst: “If she had a brain, she’d be dangerous”.

Emma Hurst said the online comments were unnerving. Picture: Supplied

Mr Banasiak initially denied liking the comment when contacted by NCA NewsWire, but then acknowledged the fact he did.

“I might not have been agreeing with the whole comment, I’d have to go back and read that comment, there might have been other parts I agreed with,” he said.

The comment which particularly rattled Ms Hurst was from a man who suggested Mr Banasiak should “step on her and step on her hard”.

“Thanks … will do,” Mr Banasiak responded.

Ms Hurst said any comments which appeared to be threatening or sexist should have been deleted instead of amplified.

“I think because I have a history of domestic violence, seeing stuff like that is really confronting,” she said.

Mr Banasiak initially denied liking the comment.

Mr Banasiak said he interpreted “step on her” to mean challenging Ms Hurst’s ideas, rather than anything physical.

He said it was in response to Ms Hurst labelling the debate around hunting regulations for minors a “child protection issue”.

“It was in response to her accusations on live TV that me and anyone that teaches kids how to hunt is a child abuser – obviously my constituents wanted me to go hard on her for that,” he said.

“(She made) a fairly abhorrent comment.”

Ms Hurst also pointed to earlier comments in parliament by Mr Banasiak that she said were unnerving.

During a 2019 debate in the upper house, Mr Banasiak sought to argue that the intelligence of animals cannot be compared with that of humans by suggesting a PlayStation challenge.

Mr Banasiak said he didn't interpret the comment the same way Ms Hurst did.

“So strong is my conviction that I challenge the honourable member to a competition,” Mr Banasiak said.

“At a time of her choosing and with a pig of her choosing, I challenge her to a game of FIFA 2020 on a PlayStation 4, with the loser ending up on the spit at the annual Christmas party of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.”

Mr Banasiak said he was suggesting the game would be between himself and the pig, not between the pig and Ms Hurst.

Ms Hurst did not interpret the comment in the same way.

“Again, because of my history, I found it unnerving, this whole idea of using parliamentary privilege to make a joke or a threat to put another MP on a spit at a barbecue,” she said of Mr Banasiak’s 2019 comments.

“It’s beyond distasteful, really inappropriate, and disgusting behaviour.”

Mr Banasiak said the tone of discussion in the upper house was “robust” and “generally fairly respectful”.

“I challenge anyone to go read my Hansard speeches; that’s my personality,” he said.

Mark Banasiak stood by his comments. Picture: Supplied

“I take the mickey out of things to point out the ridiculousness of some of the things we’re debating.”

He said reading the Broderick review had not convinced him the tone among MPs needed to change.

“There might be isolated examples where people get hot under the collar and say something they regret later, or word something the wrong way,” he said.

“That happens all the time, not just in parliament, but in every workplace. So I don’t know that I would say that it needs to change.”