Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says political language and behaviour directly influences the threat environment as she warned reports of increasing abuse against elected representatives.
The nation’s top cop repeated calls from domestic intelligence agency boss Mike Burgess to turn the temperature of debate down in the wake of an allegedly deliberate attack on Indi MP Helen Haines on Monday, which left her as a double leg amputee.
While Commissioner Barrett reiterated that AFP was a law enforcement agency and not tasked with policing free speech — she told ABC Insiders on Sunday it was troubling that her daily briefing of abuse to politicians had become “pages and pages long”.
“We do see where there is particular political conflict or discourse occurring,” she said.
“It does have a direct correlation to what we see in terms of threats and abuse.
“We do see a direct connection. Sometimes it’s very immediate.”
Ms Barrett wouldn’t provide examples of language or events which prompted reactions when instances like One Nation’s “Please Explain” satire cartoon depicting Senator Jacqui Lambie and former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews being run over were put to her.
“We do see examples were there are particular announcements, or things like you’ve just described there, is a reaction amongst the community,” she said.
“I’m not here to tell politicians how to do their jobs, I’m here to speak from the AFP perspective but this is what we do see in the current environment.
“Some days, that report is pages and pages long.
“I feel really strongly, it’s important for me to say, we are not here to police free speech.
“We are not here to police political discourse.
“But I would challenge any Australian to read some of these threats and some of the abuse that is reported to us from federal parliamentarians.
“And for anyone to argue that is free speech or political discourse.”
Brightly coloured bouquets and adoring messages have piled up outside Dr Haines’ Wangaratta electorate office and a fundraiser for Save the Children Australia in her name has reached more than $1 million dollars.
The Federal MP for Indi was collecting items from her boot in the Victorian town when she was struck on Monday afternoon by a vehicle allegedly driven by Brendan Nugent, 43.
She remained in a serious but stable condition on Sunday.
Commissioner Barrett said authorities were still investigating the motive and wouldn’t speculate future while the matter was going through the courts.
She said, alarmingly, her officers were charging almost one offender a week with threatening a parliamentarian or high office holder.
Commissioner Barrett said while offenders were predominantly male, the target of abuse is a 50-50 spilt between male and female politicians.
However, she said often the abuse directed to women was sexual in nature and more personal.
“There is no doubt that the nature of the threats and abuse that is targeted at female parliamentarians is far more focused on the individual,” she said.
“It is very often sexual violence threats —absolute abhorrent threats — targeted at our female parliamentarians.”
Commissioner Barrett just this month told The West Australian she, too, experienced abuse as a prominent female leader.
It’s something eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has also shared publicly.