Australia must ‘re-win the argument for democratic politics’ in wake of Haines incident, Alastair Campbell says

28 October 2026 at 06:24

Tony Blair’s former spokesperson says attacks on UK MPs did not bring about lasting cultural change and overheated rhetoric quickly returned to politics

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Tony Blair’s former communications guru, Alastair Campbell, says the UK political system was too quick to revert to overheated rhetoric and polarisation after attacks on MPs, urging politicians to “re-win the argument for democratic politics”.

More than a week after independent MP Helen Haines was allegedly targeted in an attack outside her electorate office in northern Victoria, causing her to lose both legs, Campbell said the tenor of political debate in Australia should better reflect Haines’ own approach.

Coalition MP ejected from question time after swearing at PM – as it happened

The Guardian - World news

By: Achol Arok and Kat Wong

28 October 2026 at 06:35

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Online hate is spilling into the real world, AFP warns

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett began her late-night appearance at the Senate estimates hearing noting “a heaviness that hangs across Australia” after the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines.

Lone actors are being motivated by a convergence of personal grievances, mental health vulnerabilities and ideological concerns …

What helped keep us safe in recent times, such as our geography, analogue systems and far away criminals, has been impacted by fully integrated technology, social media and artificial intelligence.

We hear about the devastating impacts of racism from communities every day. But many experiences go unreported or uncounted, and our systems often do not capture the full picture.

This is not about collecting more data to prove racism exists. We already know it does. It is about making inequality visible, holding institutions to account and giving communities greater agency over their data to drive real change.

Coalition MP calls for rethink of pre-poll voting amid heightened security concerns in wake of Haines incident

The Guardian - World news

By: Tess Ikonomou

27 October 2026 at 14:00

Queensland MP Garth Hamilton says he has ‘witnessed three interactions between cars and people at pre-poll, two accidental’

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A Coalition MP has called for a rethink of pre-poll voting at federal elections, including potentially shortening the amount of time booths are open, amid concerns of threats to voters and volunteers.

Security risks to politicians and their staff have been front and centre this week, as parliament returned after the alleged attack on Helen Haines, which left the independent MP in a serious but stable condition after both her legs were amputated.

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‘Are you waiting for me to be attacked?’ Fatima Payman slams PM over staffing

The Guardian - World news

By: Josh Butler · Sarah Basford Canales and Josh Taylor

27 October 2026 at 12:18

Albanese promises ‘swift response’ on MP safety as he mulls panic buttons for politicians

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Anthony Albanese has promised a “swift government response” to safety threats to MPs and floated the provision of duress alarms for electorate offices, saying politicians and their staff have put up with threats for too long.

The prime minister’s pledge to the Labor party room came hours after Senator Fatima Payman again slammed her former government colleagues over the lack of staffing given to her office, controversially asking: “Is the prime minister waiting for something, like what happened to Dr Helen Haines, to occur to my office?”