The campaign office of Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna was defaced with a sexist and vulgar slur overnight Wednesday.

Apologies for someone else’s vulgarity but this is the kind of crap ⁦@cathmckenna⁩ puts up with every day. Her campaign office was defaced overnight. She will respond shortly. This is beyond ugly #cdnpoli @ctvottawa pic.twitter.com/74NaM95xMy

— Graham Richardson (@grahamctv) October 24, 2019

The Liberal environment minister, who was re-elected Monday evening as her party won a minority government, said her campaign has contacted police about the incident.

Reaction from all sides of the political spectrum was supportive of McKenna, including from Ontario premier Doug Ford, who has been a vocal critic of the government she serves in.

Disgusting. There is no place in Canada for hate like this. While we may disagree on matters, we must always respect one another. https://t.co/96qfRCHm9J

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 24, 2019

“We’ve just been through a really divisive campaign with a lot of negative rhetoric and this is really beneath us as Canadians,” McKenna told reporters at a media availability. “I’m angry and quite frankly really disappointed.”

This is wrong and disgusting and ugly.
I don't care how you vote or how you feel about the Liberals.
STOP THIS because it is ruining our politics and our humanity.
(and if you think this is ok kindly go ahead and unfollow me immediately) #cdnpoli https://t.co/L07clg2drh

— Kristin Ghost Faced Octopus 👻🐙Raworth (@KristinRaworth) October 24, 2019

As Environment Minister, McKenna has led the country on a contentious file, with the government successfully passing a federal carbon tax bill in 2018. Conservative politicians, including Ford and Alberta premier Jason Kenney, have fought against the policy.

Without knowing yet who did this, I want to say, to the boys and to the men, that this kind of stuff needs to be denounced loudly. A lot of the hate Catherine McKenna faces on this trash site and elsewhere comes from men.

We have to be better than this. We have to. https://t.co/9OOtWCw12s

— Ted Raymond (@TedFriendlyGuy) October 24, 2019

One commentator noted that McKenna — who has not been the subject of any personal scandals — as a woman in politics receives harassment that no male counterparts, who have been the subject of scandal, have to deal with.

And last thing I’ll say about this:

Maxime Bernier.
Andrew Scheer.
Justin Trudeau.

Dudes in politics who’ve done hella problematic things and nobody spray painted their offices.

This is 10000% about gender and stereotypes about blonde “bimbos”.

Face it.

— Julie S. Lalonde (@JulieSLalonde) October 24, 2019

McKenna's high-profile role in the Trudeau government has led to frequent sexist attacks online and elsewhere, particularly after the right wing website Rebel News (formerly Rebel Media) began using the disparaging term "Climate Barbie" to describe her.

In November 2017, someone mailed McKenna's office a barbie doll, which she then donated to a Christmas toy drive.

Someone mailed this to my office. How hilarious. I’m going to assume you meant to send this to a Christmas toy drive. Happy to do that on your behalf! pic.twitter.com/ykX30lvdBh

— Catherine McKenna 🇨🇦 (@cathmckenna) November 20, 2017

A 2015 survey of female parliamentarians across 39 countries, including Canada, found that 44 per cent had been threatened with rape, beating, abduction or death, while 65 per cent had been subject to sexist remarks from their male colleagues.