A federal MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says she’s grateful to carry a government-issued panic button as threats and harassment directed at politicians increase in Canada. St John East MP Joanne Thompson is one of several members who have used the buttons, also called mobile duress alarms, in recent months. The buttons alert the Parliamentary Protection Service or local police for security purposes when pressed. While Thompson said she didn’t have to use the button while working at St. John’s, he often carries it when he’s in Ottawa. “In the early fall, shortly after the election, I had a disturbing encounter with a voter in the riding. And at that point I saw the panic button, and I was very grateful for that,” Thompson told CBC News. Thursday. “I was in Ottawa when I used it more often. You know, I was walking to work in the dark, walking back in the dark. It was an extra precaution, so I’m grateful for that.” Thompson said most of her concerns stem from email and social media, saying the rhetoric of others has intensified in recent months. Other MPs have shared stories of harassment, death threats and dangerous messages that prompted them to use a panic button. When asked how safe she feels in her job, Thompson said she doesn’t allow herself to think that way. “I don’t engage in social media back and forth … and I don’t want to really travel down the road where I start questioning my safety,” she said. “The people who are sending these messages, I think that’s what they want.” Police panic buttons like these are used to alert law enforcement when citizens feel they are in imminent danger. (Steve Lawrence/CBC) Scott Matthews, an associate professor of political science at Memorial University, says the increased use of panic buttons is likely a response to how people feel about the current state of Canadian politics as tension between the parties increases. “People who like one party or feel close to one of the parties tend to feel very distant and very negative towards the other parties. This is particularly true between Liberals and Conservatives or between NDP and Conservatives. They really dislike each other in a way which wasn’t happening in the past,” Matthews told CBC News. Matthews says he’s seen this trend come in waves over the past few decades, but adds that the politics of COVID-19 have amplified dissent in the short term. He believes that could continue when it comes to future elections, especially in areas where races are more contentious. Even if we disagree on politics, we have a lot in common. Much we share.—Scott Matthews Asked what could be done to address the broader issue of growing threats, Thompson said she believes it starts in the classroom. “We need to create a change in the way we access the news, the way we question sources…and also how we talk to each other,” he said. “Respect for matters and issues of personal and public safety. The way we conduct ourselves has an important role to play in achieving this.” MUN Associate Professor Scott Matthews says panic buttons are not a true solution to the problem of increased threats in the political landscape. (Mark Quinn/CBC) Matthews says things can be done by politicians at the heart of the issue, especially when it comes to the use of hate speech. It’s one thing to disagree, he said, but another to suggest that disagreement creates enemies in politics. “Panic buttons, and more generally the kind of security of our political system against conflict, are not any kind of solution. That’s the sign of a problem, actually,” he said. “What we need to do is find ways to tone down the heated rhetoric and depolarize our political system… Even if we disagree on politics, we have a lot in common. We share a lot.” Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
