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 partyroom 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?”
MPs across the political divide have spoken forcefully of the need for more protection for their offices after the alleged attack on the Indi MP last week, raising alarm about threats and violence directed to their staff. Politicians are also revealing the scale of abuse, online and offline, directed toward them, including death and rape threats.
In the first Labor partyroom meeting since the alleged attack, Albanese gave a long address, saying this week “must be a turning point” for civil discourse and how threats are responded to. He also conceded there needed to be more investment in security and safety for politicians.
Albanese said MPs have had to “put up with the threat environment for too long”, that the government “need to do more”, and “more can and should be done”.
“You’ve all dedicated so much to the safety of others in the workplace. I’m determined to make sure we do everything for your safety and the safety of your staff as well,” he said.
Albanese did not give specifics, but promised a “swift government response” on safety, and noted numerous MPs had raised the prospect of receiving duress alarms, or panic buttons, to alert authorities of a safety incident. This was among a “series of options” under consideration.
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, also told the meeting that the government was looking at safety at polling booths around election time.
Government sources said numerous changes were being considered, with a fulsome response and proposal likely to be revealed in coming days. MPs have raised a wide range of concerns, including greater security and hardening of their electoral offices, better communication with federal police, and resources for security at their private homes like CCTV and lighting – all options understood to be under consideration.
An ongoing review into commonwealth workplaces will also be expedited by Labor, with recommendations specifically about safety and security to be delivered soon.
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, told his MPs in a Coalition partyroom meeting of ongoing conversations with the government about personal safety and the importance of getting it right, but did not raise any specific proposals.
Payman speaks out
Payman, who quit Labor in ۲۰۲۴ to sit on the crossbench, on Monday night lashed out at the prime minister for not responding to a request for additional staff in line with other independent political offices.
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The prime minister has discretion over the allocation of personal staff, which are typically more senior advisers. All politicians receive electoral office staff, but Payman has zero advisers while ۱۶ other crossbench MPs and senators shared ۳۰ advisers, according to an internal document tabled in the hearing.
In a Senate estimates hearing, Payman questioned minister Don Farrell whether the staff allocation shortfall was due to Albanese having a personal gripe with her, claiming her staff were severely overworked.
“If [Albanese] cares so much about the welfare and wellbeing of people who work in this building, then I implore you [Farrell] and the prime minister to please look into the fact that my staff are burning out,” she said.
“Is the prime minister waiting for something, like what happened to Dr Helen Haines, to occur to my office? To me? For him to take our request seriously?”
Farrell and other Labor senators in the hearing strongly rejected the insinuation, but Payman refused to withdraw the comments when asked until her staffing request was dealt with.
Payman told Guardian Australia last week there had been a massive increase in the number of death threats and hate comments since ۲۰۲۴ when she defected from Labor. Payman said her office manager had opened mail last year containing human faeces, resulting in a biohazard team having to respond.
“We had all these people in hazmat suits come through [the office],” she said. “The trauma that that inflicts on my staff members is horrible. No office or no worker should ever have to deal with that kind of crap.”
