‘I was scared’: N.S. MLA says she no longer feels safe on the job

Nova Scotia MLA Kim Masland says she feels unsafe for the first time in her political career.

After a long day at the Nova Scotia legislature, Queens MLA and Minister of Natural Resources and Emergency Management Kim Masland was winding down.

It was near midnight when her security system alerted her phone that someone suspicious was outside the door of her Liverpool, N.S., home.

“I panicked,” said Masland, who was at her Halifax apartment, where she stays when the provincial legislature is in session.

Even though she was 100 kilometers away, Masland was still shocked and scared by the man at her door, who police say never got into the home but was arrested nearby.

“I was scared, and I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh,’” said Masland. “Is someone trying to break into my home? My safe place?”

Masland called RCMP to notify them of an alleged trespasser, and they arrived quickly and arrested the man, they say, “without incident.”

The Liverpool man was charged with trespassing by night and released under certain conditions. He’ll appear in court at a later date.

‘Could there be someone else?’

When the legislature wrapped up for the weekend and Masland returned home, she couldn’t shake the scary feeling inside her.

“It was the first time I actually felt fear walking into my own backyard, wondering, could there be someone else?”

This isn’t the first scary incident or intimidation Masland has felt. She says she received a threatening email six months ago from someone saying they knew where she lived.

Now Masland is second-guessing her moves in public and being more calculated about her public appearances.

“I’m very public because I believe it’s important for me as an MLA and as a minister, to be involved in my community, to be out there, to be listening, to be learning,” said Masland.

The incident comes amid a tense political climate at the Nova Scotia legislature, where a controversial budget is being debated with proposed spending cuts that have sparked several large protests outside.

Premier Tim Houston has felt some of the anger and backlash, both inside and outside the legislature.

“We like democracy where people can raise their voices, but they can do that in a way that’s respectful, and in a respectful manner,” said Houston. “That’s the Nova Scotian way and we just kind of need to get back to that.”

Speaker of the House Danielle Barkhouse introduced temporary restrictions, limiting public access to certain areas inside the legislature, citing safety concerns for all working inside Province House.

University of New Brunswick sociologist and director of the criminology and criminal justice program, David Hofmann, studies extremism and politics and says when someone shows up at a politician’s home, it crosses a line that has far-reaching impacts for all politicians.

“When crime occurs, it doesn’t just hurt the individual involved, it hurts the entire community and has far-reaching consequences,” said Hofmann. “The fact that someone is willing to show up to an MLA’s house, makes every single MLA seem on edge.”

‘I used to go for walks at night’

As a public figure, Masland knows she must face criticism, but she’s worried about her safety and that of others.

“I used to go for walks at night alone. I don’t do that anymore,” she said.

Houston hasn’t ruled out increasing security for MLAs.

Masland says she’s always loved politics and despite these incidents she’ll stay on as MLA.

“I’d like to,” said Masland. “But the people will make the decision.”

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page