Parliamentarians fear they will need to be more careful in public after the attack on independent MP Helen Haines, with one telling NewsWire it marks a “new and dangerous chapter in Australian politics”.
Witnesses said the 65-year-old was on Monday struck twice by a four-wheel drive outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria, and pinned against another vehicle.
Ms Haines remained in critical condition at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Tuesday after undergoing surgery, in which she lost a leg.
Alleged driver Brendan Nugent, 43, from the neighbouring town of Tarrawingee, remains in police custody.
Several MPs across parliament told Newswire they have been concerned for some time but that Monday’s attack has “made it real”, as one put it.
But another said they did not know what more could be done without “cocooning” MPs.
NewsWire understands the Albanese government and the Coalition are in talks with a view to bolstering security for elected officials across the board, as opposed to targeted measures for some.
MPs would not speculate on measures but said they welcomed bipartisanship.
The talks were set to take place after Mr Albanese’s briefing from federal and Victoria police chiefs.
‘Threat’ to Australian democracy
Fronting morning shows, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country must ask: “What do we want Australia to be?”
“I want Australia to be a country where people can go about their business, where members and senators can go to the local shops, can go to the footy and sit on the hill, can engage and get about and engage with people, because that’s the way that we keep in touch as well,” he told ABC’s News Breakfast.
“At the same time, obviously, security issues have to be dealt with and we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of people who’ve been charged with making threats.”
He added that “we need to make sure that these things aren’t normalised”.
Many in parliament have echoed the Prime Minister in statements, with Angus Taylor saying the freedom parliamentarians have to walk “the main streets of our towns” is “one of the great aspects of our country”.
“When I speak to friends from other countries, they are always amazed that we are able to do that,” he said.
“We must protect this, we must cherish this, and we must nurture the great institutions that have made our country what it is today.
“Political violence has absolutely no place in that.”
Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie said the attack on Ms Haines represented a “threat” to Australian democracy.
Threats against him have surged since One Nation began targeting his seat, prompting Home Affairs to beef-up security at his home and electorate office.
“Australia has been a successful democratic experiment because we’ve resolved our differences through debate, negotiation and compromise,” Mr Hastie said.
“The increased threats of political violence – and this attack on Helen Haines – is a threat to our democratic way of life.”
Security chiefs break silence
Ms Haines followed Nugent’s account on social media platform X.
Reviewing his account, NewsWire found a litany of conspiratorial claims as well as severe criticisms of Australia’s response to the war in Gaza.
However, replying to one of Ms Haines’ posts in 2019, he seemed supportive of the MP’s position on climate change.
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation chief Mike Burgess said he believed the “temperature of our security environment would be several degrees lower if we recommitted to conversing with civility, debating with respect and disagreeing with restraint”.
“While political differences, debates and peaceful protests are essential parts of a healthy democracy, ASIO has seen direct correlations between inflamed language, inflamed tensions and acts of violence,” Mr Burgess said.
“Disagreement is OK but acts of violence and intimidation are not – especially against those democratically chosen to represent us.”
Mr Burgess has warned of political tensions since lifting the terror threat level to probable in 2024.
At the time, he warned that people were being radicalised faster and for increasingly varied reasons.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said her agency “has regularly publicly outlined concerns about the growing threats against federal parliamentarians and high office holders”.
“In 2024-2025, the AFP received 951 reports of harassing, nuisance, offensive and threatening behaviour against high office holders, federal parliamentarians, electorate offices, and protected establishments,” she said.
“In 2025-26, it increased to 1067 reports.”
She said that not all reports “reach criminal thresholds” but stressed the AFP “takes every report seriously and encourages federal parliamentarians and their staff to report incidents”.
More to come