AFP chief links heated political rhetoric to threats against MPs

Australia’s federal police commissioner has linked inflammatory political rhetoric to threats and abuse against elected representatives, as politicians confront renewed questions about their safety following the alleged deliberate attack on independent MP Helen Haines outside her electoral office in Wangaratta.

Haines remains at Melbourne’s Alfred hospital in a serious but stable condition after both her legs were amputated. The incident has brought attention to the protection of elected representatives at every level and the difficulty of maintaining public access while addressing security concerns.

Speaking to the ABC’s Insiders program, commissioner Krissy Barrett said the threat environment facing politicians had changed. She reviews a summary of threats reported to the Australian federal police during the preceding 24 hours near the start of each working day. On some mornings, she said, that summary runs to many pages.

Barrett said her role was not to police free speech or interfere in political debate. But she questioned whether anyone reading the threats and abuse reported by federal parliamentarians could reasonably describe that material as legitimate political discussion. The shift from physical hate mail to online messages had contributed substantially to the growing volume of concerning material.

Political disputes and inflammatory language or imagery could have a direct, sometimes immediate, relationship with the threats police receive, Barrett said. Earlier One Nation cartoons showing political figures, including prime minister Anthony Albanese, being struck by cars or buses have circulated again since the alleged attack on Haines. Barrett said material of that kind prompted reactions within the community.

The AFP, which protects federal politicians and office-holders, has conducted several emergency safety briefings with parliamentarians since Monday. Barrett said male and female MPs faced threats and abuse in equal measure, although women were more frequently targeted as individuals and often received threats of sexual violence. She urged people to reflect on what was happening and its consequences.

Politicians across party lines have described the tension between security and remaining accessible to constituents. Liberal frontbencher Ted O’Brien told News24 on Sunday that he wanted to keep attending community events. He described open access as essential to democracy and said grassroots political engagement must be preserved.

Labor minister Catherine King said concerns about worsening safety had persisted for years, with MPs warning for about five years that an incident was a matter of when, rather than if. She said she had stopped using a mobile caravan after almost 25 years because it lacked a second exit, leaving her potentially trapped if someone became threatening.