Threats against politicians spike before election, says Kershaw
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The news: Federal politicians are being warned to seek advice from the Australian Federal Police ahead of the expected May 3 election, after 712 reports of threats this financial year put 2024–25 on track to surpass last year’s record of 1009.
The context: AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw told Senate estimates Thursday night the threats, which have included harassment, nuisance and offensive communications, have been directed at MPs “across the political spectrum” and are “particularly troubling” in cases involving female politicians.
He said some male offenders appear to be targeting women “because they are women or women with an ethnic background”.
In the past 13 weeks, six men aged between 29 and 64 have been charged over five incidents involving threats to politicians, and one man for allegedly threatening a political organisation, Kershaw said.
The AFP has established a special operation with support from state police and a seven-day incident coordination centre, he added.
Labor MPs Josh Burns, Richard Marles and Peter Khalil have also had their offices vandalised by pro-Palestinian activists since the war in Gaza began.
What they said: “Politicians are being targeted... because of the comments they have made in the media or their positions on policy,” he said. “Extremely violent themes, including threats of graphic, sexual violence... sometimes also directed at their children.”
Kershaw said it was absurd that some individuals believed making threats over political disagreements was acceptable.
“Free speech does not extend to freely expressing how they plan to kill someone or sexually assault them,” he said. “The AFP will not tolerate this criminality and will take swift action.”
