Georgia Purcell: Tatted-up politician's tongue-in-cheek response after trolls made cruel comments about her past life as a stripper

  • Georgia Purcell has pushed to end duck hunting in Victoria
  • Animal Justice MP swamped with vile comments online
  • She responded by posting photos of herself pole dancing

A young, tatted-up politician has fired back at online trolls who swamped her social media accounts with vulgar comments about her past life as a stripper.

Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgia Purcell, 31, who is the youngest politician in the state's parliament, squashed the derogatory posts by sharing photos of herself pole dancing online on Saturday.

The latest round of online hate aim at Ms Purcell was sparked by her push to end duck hunting, with an inquiry into recreational native bird shooting in Victoria in progress. 

The final report will be tabled in parliament next week.

'The duck shooters are back with their VERY compelling and not at all misogynistic arguments about keeping their blood sport in Victoria,' Ms Purcell wrote in the caption of her pole dancing post.

Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgia Purcell (pictured), 31, fired back at trolls who swamped her social media accounts with derogatory comments about her life as a stripper

Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgia Purcell (pictured), 31, fired back at trolls who swamped her social media accounts with derogatory comments about her life as a stripper

She included the comments made by trolls about her past job in the photos she uploaded. 

'Here's just a selection of what I've seen the past few days,' she said.

'When are you going to pick up on that I'm not ashamed of my past babes, and a decade later, I am still on the pole.' 

The young politician was supported in her stance by her followers in the comments. 

'Fit and relentless. Meanwhile, they're on the couch and miserable…,' wrote one.

'Love how you've named and shamed! Keep doing what you're doing,' said another.

A third commented: 'Doing a sport that requires some actual physical fitness and talent?! They wouldn't know what that is.'

'I mean it must be a pretty hard hit on the ego for all these misogynist knuckle dragging cavemen,' added another.

Members of Labor, the Greens and the Animal Justice Party have backed an end to duck hunting in the state.

But the push has seen backlash from hunters and a number of trade unions including the CFMEU, Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, the Electrical Trades Union and the plumbers' union.

Some Victorian Labor MPs have also expressed their opposition, especially regional members who represent voters who take part in the practice.

Duck hunting is banned in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia but is still permitted in Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania.

They young politician squashed the posts by sharing photos of herself pole dancing online with the comments attached on Saturday

They young politician squashed the posts by sharing photos of herself pole dancing online with the comments attached on Saturday

Ms Purcell was supported in her stance in the comments, with followers slamming her critics

Ms Purcell was supported in her stance in the comments, with followers slamming her critics

Ms Purcell's path to parliament has been beset by hurdles because of her ink and former life as a stripper, which left her open to attacks from trolls and political enemies. 

Earlier this year, Ms Purcell told Daily Mail Australia she was just 19 years old and studying law at university when a picture of her working as a stripper was leaked - and she thought her future dreams of working in law or politics were over.

She took up work as a topless waitress and stripper, and was also working at a post office, to try to make ends meet as she was living out of home while she studied.

Despite trying her best to keep her job private from her personal life, it all changed when she was tagged in a Facebook post.

'I worked far away from where I studied and grew up so I wouldn't meet anyone I knew, and while I felt there was nothing wrong with that line of work, I knew many others would think otherwise,' she said.

'Then one day I was sitting at the hairdresser and when I logged into Facebook, I saw I was tagged in a picture without my consent which showed me working as a stripper and there were tonnes of comments.

'I grew up in a small country town in Geelong so everyone kind of knows everyone and it just spread really quickly and viciously.'

After the picture was shared, Ms Purcell said she felt her life wasn't worth living any more, and thought her law career was over as she would never be viewed as a fit and proper person.

Members of Labor, the Greens and the Animal Justice Party have backed an end to duck hunting in the state. But the push has also seen backlash from hunters and a number of trade unions (stock image)

Members of Labor, the Greens and the Animal Justice Party have backed an end to duck hunting in the state. But the push has also seen backlash from hunters and a number of trade unions (stock image)

Ms Purcell recalled the horrifying moment photos of her working as a stripper were leaked online to Daily Mail Australia

Ms Purcell recalled the horrifying moment photos of her working as a stripper were leaked online to Daily Mail Australia

Trolls messaged her to tell her she was disgusting and should be ashamed - many from people she went to university with. 

The abuse saw her withdraw from on-campus learning just two years into her five-year degree.

Ms Purcell said she was made to feel like a bad person because of her choice of work, which led to her eventual diagnosis with PTSD amid regular bouts of anxiety.

But after being employed as the chief of staff for former Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick, she decided to run for parliament herself, deciding to out the skeleton in the closet before a political enemy could use it against her.

'Politics is so vicious and brutal that when you have political enemies, they will find out anything about you,' Ms Purcell said. 

'So a couple of years in I shared my story, writing an opinion piece about what I had been through,' Ms Purcell said.

Ms Purcell proudly archives her achievements and beliefs in the many tattoos inked on her body.

Ms Purcell proudly archives her achievements and beliefs in the many tattoos inked on her body.

'We all have a past and digital footprint and for younger politicians, it is much more traceable than the average politician, so after I shared my story I felt the weight was lifted off my shoulders.

'After I did it I became a new person. I gained self-confidence and because of my past I thought I could only be a spectator, not a participant but now two years later I am an elected MP, it has been a whirlwind experience.'

Ms Purcell also proudly archives her achievements and beliefs in the many tattoos inked on her body.

She has a tattoo of a wombat after she helped to bring in laws banning recreational shooting of the animal, and another of a duck, the next animal she intends to protect from shooters.

Another one of her tattoos depicts a woman boxing next to the phrase, 'stand your ground'.

She has also made a nod to her past in the adult entertainment industry with a tattoo of a stripper on a pole with the words, 'real work'.

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