Allegra Spender

The Prime Minister says the temperature in public discourse is too high, suggesting that this is responsible for what happened to Helen Haynes in Wangaratta.

Really? Teal MP Allegra Spender says that currently abuse against politicians is being normalised and that's leading to a record number of threats against MPs.

Gee, if someone has been following politics closely longer than she's been alive, I've seen it way more aggressive at other times.

But anyway, and then the other Teal, Zali Stegall, has blamed radio shock jocks.

And Monday's attack has raised concerns among some politicians about safety and security.

Independent MP Allegra Spender says political civility has been deteriorating for some time.

I think a lot of us

thought that, you know, something like this could easily happen.

Let's focus today on the incredible work she's done through the Voices for Indi movement, which really boosted the momentum in independents winning federal seats.

Fellow independent member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, joins us.

Allegra, firstly, may I express our condolences to you and everyone who's known and worked with Dr Haynes.

Let's go back to what your first impressions of her were when you entered Parliament in 2022.

Thanks so much.

You too.

Allegra Spender, who is the independent member for Wentworth.

This is Country Today.

But nine out of ten times, that doesn't even happen.

Allegra Spender alluded to her surprise at some of this since she entered parliament as someone who had not been up close the way that the journalists are in the gallery or the politicians themselves in the chamber.

You hear a lot when you're in there, but you don't hear nearly as much with the microphones on the television version of it.

It's the adversarial system, but

Yep.

Allegra Spender-

Allegra

... um, putting into Federal Pardn- Parliament in order to weaken the protections for faith-based schools.

Warringah Independent MP Zali Stegall said her team wanted to know whether the attack changes the kind of advice we receive as parliamentarians in terms of security measures and the ones that we need to put in place around our workplace, our homes, and around attending public gatherings.

Ms Stegall, who along with the Wentworth MP Allegra Spender, launched a new political party called Community Strong Australia in June.

She said that she had noticed a shift during the last year's federal election campaign.

There was heightened concerns around safety because of polarisation of people from often the online debate, she told the ABC.

Because I tell you what...

Allegra Spender and Zali Stegall have been trying really hard to get truth in politics as a way of being, like, for example, and we don't have it.

And,

Cathy, I want to talk about your community there in Indi too before we go because, obviously, the man in charge, Brendan Nugent, is a local and I imagine that has a dramatic impact on a regional community where a lot of people do know each other and a lot of people know Helen Haynes.

It now includes John Howard, former Prime Minister, rugby great, and he was great, Simon Poitervan.

local MP Allegra Spender, the RSL, Business Sydney, Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

Small minority, Minister Miles.

And by the way, I hope you can do something about it, and not hundreds, maybe thousands turn up on Sunday to tell him that it's not a small minority opposed to the sell-off of Victoria Barracks, as he seems to suggest.