Australia has registered a record number of threats made against elected officials, with reports almost doubling in two years.
More than 1,000 reports of harassment, nuisance, offensive and threatening communications have been made against parliamentarians over the past financial year, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has confirmed.
It comes as a clash is brewing between the government and the Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) over a pay deal which could allow officers to decline to attend events to support politicians.
The latest AFP figures compare to 555 threats in 2021-22 and 709 in 2022-23.
The figures follow Barnaby Joyce's remarks earlier this week urging voters to use ballot papers as bullets, which sparked concern from the government about a fresh wave of threats to elected officials.It also comes in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly stressed rhetoric matters, demanding Mr Joyce be sacked from the shadow frontbench and for politicians and Australians to "not go down the American road" of "real polarisation" and "people being angry all the time".
But as MPs privately raise concerns about the lack of protection, the AFPA's members voted to support protected action last week over a pay deal which the union says is inadequate
abc lonq.
I can understand psychotic people sending threatening emails and phone calls. must be a lot more mad people about these days
