Small Business Minister Anne Aly revealed she has received 19 death threats this week, as she condemned a Liberal MP for saying she and the prime minister should be “stoned in the square” over the tax office’s ban on credit card payments.
Opposition MP Angie Bell made the remarks before question time on Tuesday, which the opposition used for a second day to attack the government on behalf of small businesses following the Australian Tax Office’s decision to ban credit card payments used to pay tax bills.
The tax office’s decision this month came after the Reserve Bank earlier this year banned credit card surcharges getting passed on to consumers. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has since negotiated a delay in the ban, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said the government will consult the business community over the issue.
Labor MPs had otherwise celebrated the Reserve Bank’s decision as a cost-of-living measure, which has led some businesses to pass costs onto consumers by raising prices, and others to stop credit cards being used for payments altogether.
Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson proposed new laws on Tuesday that would force the tax office to reinstate credit card payments. Speaking in support of the bill, Bell said: “Shame on this Labor government.”
“They need to be backing in small business, and they need to stop this credit card ban and allow small and family businesses to have the cash flow that they need to make money,” she said.
“This minister [Anne Aly] and this prime minister should be absolutely shamed and stoned in the square.”
Bell was ordered to withdraw her comments.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday afternoon, Aly shared the clip, saying she did not usually comment on such matters but felt she must.
“This past week alone I’ve had 19 death threats on my social media, and in the past I’ve had death threats that are couched in that exact same language: ‘stone her’,” she said in a video.
“It’s not just something that a parliamentarian shouldn’t say, in terms of advocating violence against another parliamentarian. It is something that stands against our Australian values.
“We are a country that proudly stands against violence against women, and against regimes that use brutal methods like stoning against women. This is not just something that we should turn away from. It is racist, it is misogynistic, and it should never have been said.”
Asked for comment, Bell told this masthead: “I immediately withdrew the comment.”
“It was a poor choice of words in the heat of the moment, when I was trying to reflect the dire situation that small businesses face under the Albanese Labor government,” she said.
“My concerns about this government’s treatment of small and family businesses remain and I will continue to stand up for the hardworking Australians who run the businesses that provide jobs and keep our economy moving.”
During question time on Tuesday afternoon, Aly said Labor was listening to stakeholders before accusing Opposition Leader Angus Taylor of “cosplaying” in front of small businesses for social media.
“Those on the other side can talk as much as they like, but they’re not out there visiting small businesses,” Aly said.
Taylor laughed in response, having used the winter break to meet small business owners around the country.
Police have received a growing number of reports about security risks to politicians, including threats to kill and threats of sexual violence.
Threats against politicians and staff members rose from 555 in 2022 to 1009 in 2024. In the latest reporting period, between July 2024 and February 2025, there were more than 700.
There were about 20 ongoing court matters related to people accused of making violent threats against Albanese as of July this year. Thirty-eight people have been charged with Commonwealth crimes since last September for threatening MPs and other high office holders.