But we also must be wary of the term "bullying" being used as a political tool.

Tasmanian Liberal senator Wendy Askew's speech calling out her Labor opponents for perceived online bullying unfortunately strayed into the realm of politicising this important issue.

It's hardly unexpected to see Labor politicians querying the "values" of Rosevears candidate Jo Palmer when she was endorsed for the Liberal Party, particularly given she mentioned values in the first place. Provided there are no personal insults, it's par for the course when entering political discourse.

It's also not unexpected - but possibly counter-productive, instead - to see a Labor senator being overly critical of a Liberal MHR on social media. Yes, some of senator Helen Polley's online posts are pretty low-brow and ill-advised, but they aren't exactly vicious or threatening. The electorate can be its own judge there.

Is it a coincidence that, just over a week earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison himself claimed he would not "be bullied" into taking greater action on climate change? This was perhaps the most egregious use of the term so far. The ground in NSW and Victoria was still smouldering from unprecedented bushfires.

If senator Askew wants to understand bullying, she need look no further than the evidence given to the committee she participates in. Victims of the government's Robodebt scheme were the very definition of victims of bullying. But countless victims of this scheme had no avenue to voice their concern. They just had to watch their meagre income being siphoned away through no fault of their own.

Bass Liberal MHR Bridget Archer was candidly honest about the bullying she felt as mayor of George Town. Bullying in local government is an ongoing concern. Mayors and councillors are vulnerable in the community because of their accessibility.

Let's support the victims of bullying and keep politics out of it.