Tracee Hutchison will not run in Victoria's state election in November, despite winning almost a quarter of first preferences at the by-election in May, citing rising violence towards women. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Speaking to AAP, Hutchison shared her distress for Helen Haines and also recalled her personal experience of "a sustained, organised harassment and bullying campaign".
"The verbal harassment I experienced, and that the women my team did, was unlike anything I had anticipated," she said.
Hutchison said she reported threats and feeling unsafe to the Victorian Electoral Commission every day during pre-polling.
"There is no framework for the officers to do anything other than come out to the polling booth and tell everyone to behave. They then go back inside and people kick off again," she added.
Meanwhile, Brendan Nugent, the alleged attacker of Helen Haines, is due to face court in Wangaratta this morning. The Guardian reported this.
Hutchison's decision highlights the acute issue of violence against women ahead of the Victorian state election. Despite significant support at the May by-election, she has chosen not to run in the current political climate.
According to Hutchison, she faced threats almost daily during the pre-election period and reported them to the Victorian Electoral Commission. However, she said the commission's officers had no means to take appropriate action.
"The verbal harassment I experienced, and that the women my team did, was unlike anything I had anticipated," she noted.
This incident once again raises the issue of rising violence against women in Victoria's election campaign. Hutchison's decision demonstrates how pressing this problem is.
The attack on Helen Haines had already been widely reported. Now the case of the accused, Brendan Nugent, will be heard in Wangaratta court today.
Hutchison's decision not to run may be linked to her concerns for personal safety. She said she was subjected to threats during the campaign and reported them to official bodies.
Representatives of the Victorian Electoral Commission have not yet given official comment on the matter. However, according to Hutchison, the commission's officers had no means to take appropriate action.
This incident once again puts the issue of rising violence against women in Australian political campaigns on the agenda. Hutchison's decision shows how acute this problem is.
The attack on Helen Haines had already been widely reported. Now the case of the accused, Brendan Nugent, will be heard in Wangaratta court today.