World leaders have heard an alleged attack on Australian independent MP Helen Haines was a warning shot at global democracy.
The member for the rural Victorian electorate of Indi was hit by a car on Oct. 19 and remains in hospital in a serious condition, with both her legs amputated.
The incident spurred calls from across the Australian political spectrum to dial down political rhetoric and examine better protection for politicians, and has made global headlines.
At an address to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the alleged attack was a wake-up call to the febrile atmosphere around politicians.
“Across the world, political polarisation is reducing social cohesion, placing additional pressures on democratic processes,” he told world leaders on the conference’s sidelines.
“Threats against elected representatives are … increasing, especially against women, and inevitably, some of these threats have been followed through.
“[The attack] has brought home to us the urgent need to protect our elected representatives, so they can continue to do their jobs.”
The federal government has pledged it would fast track an independent review set to update safety and security recommendations.
In the Caribbean, the prime minister said the Commonwealth could be a positive influence on a world racked by conflict and mistrust.
“The Commonwealth can be a strong and united voice for peace and the re-establishment of world trade,” he said.
He called on the biennial forum, usually a civil discussion between its 56 like-minded member nations, to project its civility and strong democratic credentials further.
“The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are not only taking a tragic toll in human life, they are also having a devastating impact on the global economy,” Albanese said.
“Returning our nations and our world to the path of prosperity and rising living standards requires an end to those wars.”
At a bilateral meeting, he will also ask his UK counterpart Andy Burnham whether British backpackers can spend more time working in regional Australia as a condition of extending their visas, from which they are currently exempt.
“That’s a change that’s been made, and that’s something that we’ll be discussing. We think that it is a very good interest for Australia to have backpackers,” Albanese told reporters at a press conference on Nov. 3.
The prime minister attended the Caribbean conference at King Charles’ urging, but has copped flack for making the trip while a likely RBA rate rise on Nov. 3 intensifies cost-of-living pressures back home.
“By engaging in the world, we can deal with our national security interests, but also make our economy stronger,” Albanese said in response to the criticisms.
By Will Nicholas in Canberra
