Nine electorate offices have been marked for security upgrades following last week's attack on independent MP Helen Haines, a Department of Finance official told a Senate estimates hearing. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said MP safety was a matter of daily review. Communications Minister Anika Wells temporarily shut her electorate office after a woman allegedly made threatening gestures towards staff. Several MPs have also shared threats against themselves, their families and staff. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the threats now often arrive online rather than by letter.
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.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says heated political debate is directly linked to threats against parliamentarians. Speaking on the ABC's Insiders program, she said the threat environment has worsened, with a daily report listing threats made to the AFP. Security at Parliament House is being reassessed after a car ramming attack on independent MP Helen Haines in her Wangaratta electorate. Dr Haines has had both legs amputated and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. Police say a man, Brendan Nugent, has been charged over the incident, and investigators are working to establish a possible motive.
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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.
Independent MP Helen Haines is in a serious but stable condition after being rammed by a four-wheel drive in Victoria. Pauline Hanson warned Prime Minister Albanese in June about rising threats to herself and other politicians. Hanson has hired private security and called for an official review of her protection after receiving threats. A 47-year-old Perth man was charged by the Australian Federal Police for allegedly threatening to kill Hanson.
Australia's federal police commissioner has linked heated political rhetoric directly to threats and abuse aimed at politicians. Independent MP Helen Haines was allegedly run down by a four-wheel-drive outside her Wangaratta electoral office on Monday, and both her legs were amputated. She remains in a serious but stable condition in Melbourne. Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the daily threat reports are often pages long and that women MPs are more often targeted with threats of sexual violence. Federal MPs say they are weighing personal security against contact with voters.
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.
Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says inflammatory political debate has a direct link to threats and abuse against parliamentarians. She said police would not curtail free speech but would act when rhetoric became violent threats. Independent MP Helen Haines was critically injured when hit by a car outside her Wangaratta office last week. Police have charged Brendan Nugent, 43, and are working to establish a motive, which may take weeks or months. Commissioner Barrett said MPs must make their own decisions about personal safety, and politicians have called for a review of security arrangements.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says political language and behaviour directly influences threats against elected representatives. Her comments follow an alleged deliberate attack on Indi MP Helen Haines, who was struck by a vehicle in Wangaratta on Monday and suffered serious injuries. Barrett said police are charging almost one offender a week with threatening a parliamentarian or high office holder. She said threats against female politicians are often sexual and more personal. Authorities are still investigating the motive, and the matter is before the courts.
Young WA politicians say they will keep going despite a rise in abuse. Youth parliamentarian Charlotte Rawlinson said she is scared but determined to stay involved. Busselton councillor Mikalya Love now has staff or colleagues walk her to her car after meetings, and police have been called to some council meetings. Federal MP Tanya Plibersek described abuse against parliamentarians as occurring at an industrial scale. Former prime minister Julia Gillard said more action is needed to protect women in politics.
A senior minister says parliamentarians have long expected an attack like the one on independent MP Helen Haines. Dr Haines was struck twice by a four-wheel drive outside her Wangaratta electorate office, and both her legs were amputated. She was in a serious but stable condition at Melbourne's Alfred hospital on Sunday morning. Victoria Police have charged 43-year-old Brendan Nugent, who was arrested at the scene and remanded in custody. Cabinet minister Catherine King said abuse toward politicians has increased through emails, phone systems and face-to-face encounters.
A 26-year-old man who pleaded guilty to threatening to kill his ex-partner and her mother will remain in custody before sentencing. The threats were made in messages and a voicemail over three days in July, sent through social media and phone. Police arrested him at his Canberra home later that month. His lawyer said he has post-traumatic stress disorder and pointed to unpleasant messages from the ex-partner. The prosecutor opposed bail, and Special Magistrate Michael Cowen refused it. Sentencing is set for 18 December.
Independent MP Helen Haines was critically injured in a physical attack, and a man has been charged. Police have not yet advanced a motive. A draft study by the Better Politics Foundation, titled Fit To Lead, surveyed 288 current and five former representatives about their mental health and safety. Threats against federal MPs and high office holders recorded by the Australian Federal Police have risen from 300 to more than 1,000 in five years. Several MPs report ongoing harassment, with some offices closed after threats in recent days.
Independent MP Helen Haines remains in a critical but stable condition after being struck by a vehicle on Monday. Brendan Nugent faces multiple charges after allegedly striking her with his four-wheel drive outside her Victorian electoral office. The incident has prompted women in public life to speak about threats they have received. Former MP Kylea Tink says she received death and rape threats during her campaign. Former ACTU secretary Sally McManus says she called police four times over threats during her public leadership role.
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.
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Questions are being raised about the personal safety of women in prominent Australian public roles after an alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines. Haines remains in a critical but stable condition after being struck by a vehicle outside her Victorian electoral office, and has lost both legs. Brendan Nugent faces multiple charges over the alleged incident. Former independent MP Kylea Tink, who was the first woman to hold the North Sydney seat, described receiving violent and threatening messages, including threats aimed at her children, after standing for office.
A 47-year-old woman has been charged with public nuisance after an alleged security scare at Sports Minister Anika Wells's Nundah office in Brisbane. The woman is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on November 26, and the office remains closed while security is upgraded. Wells said staff deserve to feel safe at work. The incident follows the alleged attack on Indi MP Helen Haines, who remains in critical but stable condition after surgeons amputated her legs. Across Australia, politicians are receiving security briefings.
The ABC has sacked a reporter after its ombudsman found two of his stories gave audiences a misleading impression. Mahmood Fazal, a former Four Corners reporter, was dismissed in May 2026 after an investigation into his external work. The ABC initially stood by Fazal in 2024 when allegations emerged that he passed on threats from an organised crime gang to YouTuber Jordan Shanks' producer. Shanks' Bondi home was firebombed in November 2022, with police saying retaliation for his videos was a strong possibility. Fazal denies passing on any threats.
