Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday called on Canada’s political leaders to strongly condemn acts of aggression and intimidation directed at politicians – before the country is forced to “rethink” the ways in which elected officials and the public can safely interact.
“We should be able to have that relationship that we’ve always been proud of [on]that Canadians can be close to those who represent them,” Trudeau told reporters outside Rideau Hall.
“But the aggressive bullying, the hate-filled tactics of a small number of people are making us rethink the freedoms we’ve had as parliamentarians.”
Trudeau’s comments come just days after Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was verbally abused during a town hall visit in Grand Prairie, Alta., over the weekend.
Video of the incident shows a man following Freeland as she enters an elevator while calling her a “traitor” and a “damn bitch” and telling her to leave the province.
Freeland called the actions of the man who confronted her “wrong,” but also repeatedly stressed that her Alberta tour had otherwise gone smoothly.
“One unfortunate incident in no way overshadows the warmth of the welcome I’ve received,” Freeland said Wednesday morning in Calgary.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called the incident “reprehensible.” RCMP say they will investigate.
Trudeau said episodes of aggression against politicians will become more common if political leaders remain silent or – worse – inflame the animosity leading up to these meetings.
“The tone of our democracy, the tone of our political debates, is set by those politicians who are sent to Ottawa to represent their communities,” he said.
“That’s something that all parliamentarians and all leaders have to stand against … to say, ‘No, we’re not going to become this toxic, polarized country that some people think we should become.’
Women and people of color in particular will be discouraged from entering public service if intimidating confrontations become the new normal, the prime minister warned.
“I think we need to be especially clear that people who are members of a visible minority and women are perhaps particularly vulnerable,” Freeland said at her news conference in Calgary. She noted that most politicians and journalists in Canada do not have access to the level of protection and security offered to cabinet ministers.
Helena Jacek, who was unveiled as the new procurement minister on Wednesday, spoke after Trudeau and said she experienced increased “verbal abuse and somewhat intimidating behavior” during last year’s election.
“If this behavior is accepted as the norm, then we will be in a position that is far more serious than what we are in now,” added Filomena Tassi, who swapped roles with Jacek as part of a minor cabinet reshuffle.
WATCH: Alberta man reaches out to Deputy Premier Chrystia Freeland
Alberta man hurls profanity at Chrystia Freeland, sparking outrage on social media
In a video that has been widely circulated on social media, several people can be seen approaching Freeland as she walks through Grande Prairie City Hall toward an elevator.
Encounters like the one Freeland experienced in Alberta are happening more often, according to Canada’s top intelligence agency.
A 2020 report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, obtained by CBC News through an access to information request, reports that “political figures in Canada face threats of violence and online abuse with increasing regularity.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh suffered an episode of verbal harassment in May during a campaign stop in Peterborough, Ontario. during the Ontario provincial election.
Protesters outside the NDP campaign office followed Singh to a vehicle, yelling at him and calling him “dammit! Singh later said the meeting was among the most disturbing experiences of his political career.
Trudeau himself has repeatedly faced aggressive behavior on the campaign trail for the 2021 federal election.Man in London, Ontario. threw gravel at the premier and a separate campaign rally in Bolton, Ontario. was canceled due to security concerns.
Conservative politicians, including MP Michelle Rempel Garner, have also expressed concern about increasingly aggressive interactions in public.
“This last campaign, for me, I’ve never felt so insecure,” Rempel Garner told CBC News last year.
Trudeau mulls security changes
Despite growing concerns about threats against politicians, Trudeau has not confirmed any plans to improve security measures for parliamentarians or offer full-time personal security for cabinet ministers.
“We are considering different solutions,” Trudeau said in French when asked about possible changes.
Earlier this summer, the federal government began providing MPs with mobile “panic buttons” that can be used to immediately alert the Parliamentary Protection Service or local police for a quick response.
Tassi said he would rather see the federal government find ways to deal directly with acts of intimidation and aggression before considering adding more security and increasing distance between politicians and the public.
“That’s not the answer,” Tassi said. “The answer is that this behavior must stop.
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