Government sources said ministers wanted the Australian Federal Police's protective services to be more proactive, including providing threat assessments without MPs having to request them and opening better lines of communication. "Currently [MPs] feel in the dark," one source said, adding that the system is "a bit reactive now. The assumption should be that something could go wrong."
The options, which are still subject to change, include an overhaul of how safety at electorate offices is upgraded, a process that can currently take months, and making it easier for MPs to install cameras and fences at their homes, potentially through a government-funded round of upgrades or a tax deductibility scheme. MPs currently pay thousands for such installations themselves.
Well-placed sources said the attack had elevated a widely held sense among MPs of all parties that more must be done to counter rising threats, although authorities believe the attack on Haines was opportunistic rather than planned. Authorities have also expressed frustration with MPs who fail to follow protocol when flagging high-risk events or reporting incidents.
Haines was rammed by a LandCruiser while taking items from the boot of her car outside her electorate office in Wangaratta in north-east Victoria. Her husband Phil Haines revealed on Wednesday that both her legs had been amputated as surgeons at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital fought to save her life. Her chief of staff, Kaz Rourke, said the office may reopen next week and that the attack has been deeply traumatic for the team.
Kooyong MP Monique Ryan, a friend of Haines, called for bollards outside offices but dismissed the need for permanent guards. "There's a real balance to be found here on what we can do here that's reasonable and not excessive without freaking everyone out," she said. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has pointed to the UK's move to assign each MP a specific security officer.
At the state level, Victorian Premier Ben Carroll met the electoral commissioner and police chief commissioner Mike Bush on Wednesday to discuss stronger safety measures. Bush said police were working to establish a centralised process for monitoring threats against MPs, a "single-stop shop" for reporting. Victorian MPs were due for a police briefing on Friday.
Female Victorian MPs have described intensified threats. Upper house MP Georgie Purcell said a constituent commented on her statement supporting Haines that he wished it had happened to her, while another wrote "You should be scared." Nationals MP Annabelle Cleeland said she shares her live location with her husband and staff on the road. "I don't feel like I signed up for this job to put my children in harm's way and, right now, I'm frightened about that," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor urged caution about limiting debate. "Our democracy was built on the Westminster system, which requires and needs vigorous and rigorous debate, but it should never cross the line," he said.