A group of female Labor MPs have written a letter of complaint to the Animal Justice Party after it used photographs of their faces surrounded by blood spatter in an anti-duck hunting advert.
The ads, which appeared on social media, were designed to criticize the Victorian Labor government’s refusal to ban the controversial practice.
But several of the attacked MPs have demanded an apology from the Animal Justice Party, claiming the blood-spattered depictions promote violence.
The letter was co-signed by Labor MPs Katie Hall, Belinda Wilson, Christine Couzens, Nina Taylor, Kat Theophanous, Alison Marchant, Sonya Terpstra and Ella George.
The ads, which appeared on social media, were designed to criticize the Victorian Labor government’s refusal to ban the controversial practice (pictured: Labor MP Nina Taylor)
The complaint letter was co-signed by Labor MPs Katie Hall, Belinda Wilson, Christine Couzens, Nina Taylor, Kat Theophanous, Alison Marchant, Sonya Terpstra (pictured) and Ella George.
“We seek an apology for the distress this has caused to female parliamentarians who were shocked to see images of their faces surrounded by blood spatter for the purposes of their political party’s advertising,” reads the letter, obtained by the Herald of the sunread.
‘We are dismayed that these images are being funded and supported by his political party.
‘As you know, we have a crisis in this country regarding violence against women.
‘Part of the cultural problem that needs to be addressed is the representation of violence against women.
‘Images like the ones that were distributed of us were triggering for some of us.
“As you well know, women in politics are exposed to a variety of gendered and sometimes violent threats.”
Outraged MPs suggested there were other ways the party could promote its concerns about duck hunting.
Victorian Animal Justice Party convener Bronwyn Currie apologized for the ads.
“The image was designed to highlight the cruelty of the bloody and brutal duck hunt and make clear that, as members of the government, Labor MPs had the power to put an end to it,” Ms Currie told the newspaper.
‘The AJP opposes any form of violence. Our MPs and members at large have been consistently visible and active in opposing violence against women.’
But he said violence against animals, such as duck hunting, also contributed to violence against humans.
“The indifference or acceptance of the barbaric activity of duck hunting as ‘sport’ and ‘recreation’ is a broader example of society’s apathy towards violence,” he said.
