Female candidate quits over harassment during campaign

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 20:32 · Archive

Tracee Hutchison will not stand in Victoria's state election after facing death threats and coordinated attacks during a by-election campaign.

Tracee Hutchison, a veteran TV and radio broadcaster, ran as an independent for Victoria's state seat of Nepean in a by-election, funded through community support without major party backing. During the campaign, she faced death threats, pictures of her being gagged, coordinated letterbox drops containing slurs, and attacks designed to smear her and affiliate her with causes she had nothing to do with.

Despite winning almost a quarter of first preferences in the May by-election, Ms Hutchison has decided not to contest Victoria's state election in November. She cited rising violence towards women as her reason, describing her experience as 'a sustained, organised harassment and bullying campaign' involving verbal harassment of her team as well.

Most of the sustained threats came from a group of young men in the Melbourne electorate, she alleged. Ms Hutchison reported feeling unsafe to the Victorian Electoral Commission every day during pre-polling but said there was no framework for officers to take action beyond telling people to behave at polling booths. 'Something has gone horribly wrong in this country,' she said. Ms Hutchison expressed distress over the alleged attack on federal independent Helen Haines, who remains in critical condition after being rammed by a car near her electorate office.

How it is being reported

• Gagging, co-ordinated attacks: reality for female MPsAfter being targeted with vile imagery, slurs and a co-ordinated letterbox drop, a political candidate says she will not run for parliament again.Perth Now · 20 Oct, 20:03
• Gagging, co-ordinated attacks: reality for female MPsAfter being targeted with vile imagery, slurs and a co-ordinated letterbox drop, a political candidate says she will not run for parliament again.The West Australian · 20 Oct, 20:03

In this story: Tracee Hutchison · Helen Haines · Victoria · Nepean · Melbourne · Victorian Electoral Commission

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