A New Report Just Revealed Which Party Leader Is Getting The Most Hate Online Right Now

Thousands of tweets during the election period have been labelled as "toxic" and "hostile."👇

Managing Editor, Canada

Justin Trudeau has been getting the most online hate out of all of Canada's major party leaders, a new study has found.

Between August 15 and 22 alone, the Liberal leader received almost 19,000 "toxic," "hostile" or "rude" tweets, which works out at around 24% of all tweets he received.

According to a report from the Samara Centre for Democracy — a non-partisan charity — Trudeau was mentioned in "the highest proportion of toxic tweets" of all Canada's main party leaders during the same period.

It's not just Justin Trudeau getting a hard time online, though. The study found that a whopping 20% of all tweets related to Canada's federal election campaign trail so far have been "toxic." On top of that, 7% were labelled as "severely toxic," which means they included profane language or even threats.

Of the five major federal parties, the Liberal Party has faced the most online hate during the 2021 federal election campaign, followed by the Conservative Party, the Green Party, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP.

"Women incumbents from the Liberal Party of Canada are facing the most toxicity online," the report added. "They are over five times more likely to receive toxic tweets than men in that party."

Some of the hate has been spilling into real life, too. Over the weekend, the prime minister was forced to cancel a campaign stop due to what he described as the angriest protestors he'd ever seen. Both Erin O'Toole and Jagmeet Singh jumped to Trudeau's defence following the incident, condemning the "harassment" and "violence."

  • Managing Editor

    Helena Hanson (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Canada for Narcity and MTL Blog, where she brings her expertise in dreamy, aspirational travel journalism to life. A first-class graduate of Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Helena has a passion for inspiring readers to discover the magic in their own backyards. Originally from the U.K., Helena has spent years uncovering hidden gems and must-see destinations across countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, and more. Having lived in both Canada and Australia, she's become a seasoned expert in off-the-beaten-path adventures and bucket-list experiences that don't break the bank. Whether she's writing about things to do in Ottawa, Montreal, or her favourite spot—Disney World—Helena hopes to leave readers dreaming of their next adventure.

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