Almost half of more than 460,000 comments on the social media accounts of 22 Labor politicians were classed as abusive between July and October, according to data from an AI tool called Areto. Of the 2,497 threats and 2,487 comments using violent language, examples included calls for a politician to be shot and hanged. Facebook carried about 94 per cent of the comments, and 51 per cent of those were abusive. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the abuse was having a chilling effect on community engagement, while Housing Minister Clare O'Neil criticised platforms for profiting from it.
A bullet engraved with the word 'rat' and the ID number of Victorian Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke was left on his car windscreen in Frankston. Edbrooke alleges the threat was planted by aggrieved union members, days after an MP was critically injured in an alleged ramming attack. Union secretary Peter Marshall condemned the threat and pledged cooperation with police, while Premier Ben Carroll and Opposition Leader Jess Wilson both condemned the incident.
ACT politicians say they have faced death threats, spitting and misogynistic abuse. Several members of the ACT Legislative Assembly have spoken out after federal independent MP Helen Haines was allegedly run down outside her Victorian electorate office on Monday. Canberra Liberals MLA Elizabeth Lee said she received a death threat naming her daughter and partner, left at her front gate. ACT Health Minister Marisa Paterson said she has been spat at and threatened face-to-face, with abuse online increasing over the past 18 months. Greens MLA Laura Nuttall said she has been targeted over her sexuality and gender.
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Western Australian MPs say hostility toward politicians is growing, with several saying it is becoming harder to stay accessible to voters. The concern follows an alleged attack on federal independent MP Helen Haines, whose motive is not yet clear, and a man charged with threatening staff in state Labor MP Hannah Beazley's office. Police Commissioner Col Blanch urged politicians to look after themselves while remaining part of their communities. The state government announced it will fund security upgrades at MPs' homes, fast-track a security review of Parliament and provide an extra electorate officer.
Local female politicians say they have faced online abuse, false rumours and threats for some time. The discussion follows the alleged attack on independent Member for Indi Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta office. Police allege Brendan Nugent deliberately struck her vehicle, pinning her between two cars. She survived but has had both legs amputated and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. Nugent has been charged and remanded in custody, and his lawyers say he has a history of mental illness.
The Australian Education Union Tasmanian Branch has called on politicians and their representatives to avoid Tasmanian public schools for the rest of Term 4. The union has set a condition: the stay-away request lasts unless Premier Jeremy Rockliff apologises.
Tony Barry and George Megalogenis discuss the response to an alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines. The prime minister has urged people to lower the temperature, but the panel asks whether politicians can ask their supporters to tone down hateful rhetoric. They also consider lessons from history for navigating toxic public debate.
NSW MP Jodie Harrison says threats left in envelopes at her electorate office nine years ago made her feel physically sick. A man was later jailed for 16 months after police investigated. Harrison now carries out daily risk assessments. Gosford MP Liesl Tesch carries a personal duress alarm after online threats, and Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery says her staff are more on guard. The concerns follow an attack on Helen Haines, who remains in a critical condition. Premier Chris Minns said MPs cannot be wrapped in cotton wool.
Federal politicians from Labor, the Coalition and the crossbench have raised concerns about their safety after the alleged attack on Helen Haines, who lost both legs. Security agencies will review safety precautions for MPs' homes and offices. Several MPs have paid for their own safety features, such as cameras and floodlights, after risk assessments did not offer them. Reported threats to office holders rose from 951 two years ago to 1,067 last year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said funding for MP security has increased.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says politicians need to be able to attend community events and shop without fear, as calls grow to review MP protection. Independent MP Helen Haines remains in a critical condition after a four-wheel drive allegedly struck her outside her Wangaratta electorate office on Monday. Police allege Brendan Nugent, 43, deliberately drove into her. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says nearly one person a week is charged with targeting federal parliamentarians and office-holders, and that the threat environment is febrile.
Security agencies will brief federal politicians after an alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines left her in a critical condition. Dr Haines had a leg amputated after she was allegedly hit by a four-wheel drive outside her electorate office in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon. The Australian Federal Police have urged the public to reduce heated rhetoric amid a rise in harassment of politicians. Fellow independent Monique Ryan said she had referred two threats against her to police within 24 hours. Opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said electorate offices lack adequate protection.
Political opponents have set aside their differences to back Independent MP Helen Haines, who is in critical condition after an alleged vehicle attack outside her Wangaratta office. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as a deliberate attack. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil and Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie jointly voiced support for Haines and her family. McKenzie said the alleged attack raised serious questions about politicians' safety but warned against hostility toward elected representatives. O'Neil said online abuse was increasingly spilling into face-to-face interactions. The Australian Federal Police and ASIO are scheduled to brief federal politicians on security.
Independent MP Helen Haines has had a second leg amputated and is alive and stable, her husband Phil Haines says. He described her road to recovery as long and difficult, but said she is a fighter. Hospital staff say she remains in critical condition. A man has been charged over an alleged attack on her. Police say the motive is still not known. The Wangaratta mayor said the community is in collective shock and sadness.
Victorian state MPs from across the political spectrum have called for increased security after reporting threats to themselves, their families, staff and volunteers. Premier Ben Carroll plans to meet the electoral commissioner about security for the November 28 poll, and a special cabinet meeting is reportedly planned. Former premier Jacinta Allan said in August that she worried an MP would be killed. Some MPs say social media has escalated abuse, and some are considering stepping back from politics.
An alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines has prompted fresh concerns about political violence in Australia. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said reports of harassing and threatening behaviour against high office holders rose from 951 to 1,067 in the latest financial year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there was too much shouting and not enough discourse in political debate. Deakin University expert Josh Roose warned that online echo chambers may be fuelling hostility and said police must finish their investigation before the motive is known.
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Riverina MPs have expressed shock and sorrow at the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta electorate office. Haines was critically injured after allegedly being struck by a Toyota LandCruiser on Monday afternoon. A 43-year-old man was arrested at the scene, and a knife was found inside the vehicle. Police and counter-terrorism authorities are investigating, and the motive remains unknown. One Nation MP David Farley urged people not to speculate, while Michelle Milthope and Nationals MP Michael McCormack praised Haines and wished her a speedy recovery.
Federal MP Helen Haines was deliberately hit by a car outside her electorate office in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon and was left fighting for her life. ASIO director general Mike Burgess has said the threat of politically motivated violence is flashing red, and that elevated grievance and polarisation create a permissive environment for violence. The Australian Federal Police reported 1067 reports of harassment and threatening behaviour against politicians, electorate offices and government agencies in 2025-26, up from 951 the year before.
A vehicle mounted the kerb on Bay Street in Port Melbourne on Saturday, close to a group including Shadow Minister for Health Georgie Crozier and Liberal candidate for Albert Park Andrew Cook. The group was attending a community listening post, and no one was hurt. Police believe driver error may have caused the incident and say it was not intentional. The Coalition said the incident was separate from the serious events involving independent MP Helen Haines, who was struck by a 4WD outside her electoral office on Monday. There is no evidence the two incidents are linked.
Small business minister Anne Aly has condemned comments made in parliament calling for her to be stoned in the square. Liberal National MP Angie Bell made the remark during question time on Tuesday, criticising a tax office decision to ban credit card payments for tax bills. The speaker forced Bell to withdraw the comment after Leader of the House Tony Burke objected to its violent imagery. In an Instagram post, Aly said she had received 19 death threats on social media in the past week and called the comments racist and misogynistic.
