Threats to MPs surge fourfold as Helen Haines attack marks turning point
Threats to MPs quadrupled since 2020. The Haines attack is Australia's worst political violence since 1994.
Helen Haines, an independent MP, lost a leg in a targeted attack outside her Wangaratta office on Monday. Doctors are fighting to save her other leg.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says authorities charge almost one person every week. The charges are for threatening or targeting Commonwealth parliamentarians and officials.
Threats to MPs have surged fourfold since 2020. Experts warn that misinformation and breakdown in trust are fuelling a more dangerous political climate.
A 2025 survey found nearly nine per cent of Australians said violence is sometimes justified to advance a cause. Those under 35 were more than twice as likely as those over 50 to hold this view.
Deakin University sociologist Josh Roose said the attack on Haines marked a "new step" in Australian political violence. Haines is a respected grandmother and community member.
- Fourfold increase since 2020
- Threat surge
- Almost one person every week
- Weekly charges
- John Newman murder in 1994
- Worst violence since
Why it mattersDemocratic representation depends on people willing to run for office. Threats and violence deter candidates. This leaves voters with fewer choices and communities without their voices.
AustraliaAustralian MPs are increasingly fearful of online abuse and physical attack, forcing politicians and police to spend resources on protection rather than governance and public safety.
Corroborated bysmh.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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