Fake social media accounts set up in Barb Miller’s name didn’t represent her views and some of the posts were offensive, the Red Deer South MLA says. (NDP)
Another one of Alberta’s female politicians says she’s been the target of online harassment and abuse.
Red Deer South NDP MLA Barb Miller says she was shocked to discover fake Facebook and Twitter accounts set up in her name.
Friends and strangers alerted her to the accounts on Friday after noticing the posts seemed out of character. Besides espousing false political views in her name, some of the posts were “gross,” said Miller.
“One thing people don’t realize when they engage in these type of bullying tactics is the innocent people that are hurt because of it. I’m in politics. I can expect this. But the family members, they don’t deserve it. And they’re the innocent bystanders in all of this,” she said.
Not everyone realized the accounts weren’t real. Calgary Sun columnist Lorne Gunter tweeted an apology after being duped by a fake post.
Have deleted my tweets on NDP @BarbMillerMLA who allegedly posted anti-pipeline remarks to Facebook. Sorry, I bit too fast. #abpoli #ableg
By Friday evening, the New Democratic caucus had successfully gotten the accounts shut down, saying in a press release that they “do not represent or reflect the views of the MLA or the caucus.”
Millar said despite the experience, she won’t be deterred from politics.
“I’ll get up tomorrow and do my job just like I did today.”
The treatment of female politicians in Alberta was the subject of a protest Thursday at Calgary’s Olympic Plaza, where women from different political backgrounds gathered to condemn bullying and abuse.
The protest was inspired by the experiences of MLA Sandra Jansen, who withdrew from the Tory leadership race earlier this month, blaming a series of online insults and smear campaigns.