MP forced to close office over security incident
A Labor MP under fire over travel to Adelaide has been forced to close her electoral office, days after a federal politician was allegedly deliberately struck by a four-wheel-drive.
Politicians are being briefed on how to improve their own security after the alleged attack on Helen Haines, as a federal MP closes her electorate office following a security incident.
In the days since, the nation’s police forces, Home Affairs department and state leaders have rushed to crack down on security and offer briefings. It comes against a broader backdrop of threats to politicians.
Federal Communications and Sports Minister Anika Wells shut her office after an incident on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been advised we need to close the office temporarily while security improvements are made,” Wells said in a statement on Friday.
“Our staff deserve to feel safe at work and this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.”
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Wells has been under fire over travel to Adelaide for a party, where she claimed to have also met with State Development Minister Chris Picton.
Queensland Police charged a 47-year-old Nundah woman with public nuisance over the incident.
Federal member for Indi Helen Haines underwent the amputation of both her legs after 43-year-old Brendan Nugent allegedly deliberately struck her with his four-wheel drive.
She remains in a critical condition in Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital. Energy Minister Chris Bowen urged members of the public to leave politicians alone, regardless of which party they belonged to.
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“Whether it’s ‘stone them in the square’ or whether it’s Warren Mundine, frankly, telling jokes at CPAC about bashing me up, physical violence to me, it’s not funny,” he told News24.
“Every Australian in politics is doing a job, plenty of people I disagree with, but they’re fine Australians, just going about trying to do their job. No one deserves violence.”
Bowen was referring to Question Time comments by Liberal MP Angie Bell suggesting Small Business Minister Anne Aly should be “stoned and shamed in public”.
Former Liberal party candidate Warren Mundine joked at the conservative CPAC conference earlier in October that a friend had admonished him not to murder Bowen after bumping into him in Canberra.
A man was also charged in Western Australia this week for allegedly making threats and wielding nunchucks in the electorate office of state Labor MP Hannah Beazley.
SA politicians have shared their own concerns over threats and abuse while federal parliamentarians have also been briefed on keeping themselves and their staff safe.
The Australian Federal Police have been contacted for comment.
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– AAP
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