| World leaders have heard an alleged attack on Australian independent MP Helen Haines was a warning shot at global democracy. |
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Anthony Albanese warns world leaders after alleged attack on Helen Haines
The prime minister said political polarisation is eroding social cohesion worldwide.
World leaders have heard an alleged attack on Australian independent MP Helen Haines was a warning shot at global democracy.
3/11/2026
(See translation in Arabic section)
Sydney-Middle East Times Int'l: The member for the rural Victorian electorate of Indi was hit by a car on 19 October and remains in hospital in a serious condition, with both her legs amputated.
The incident, which made global headlines, has spurred calls from across the Australian political spectrum to dial down political rhetoric and improve protection for politicians.
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 will fast-track an independent review set to update safety and security recommendations.
Albanese's pitch to Commonwealth members
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 was also expected to ask his United Kingdom 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. |
