“Political issues should be dealt with in the way that we dealt with them on May 3 – having a respectful debate, people casting their vote through the democratic means and respectful transition of power in particular seats.
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“Unfortunately, we are seeing a polarisation of politics. I think the impact of social media is playing a role there. It pushes people towards extremes, whether at the left or the right, and that’s not a good thing here in Australia.
“The fact we have compulsory voting, the fact we have preferential voting as well, pushes people towards more mainstream views and mainstream politics, rather than being at the edges and trying to make people angry and respond emotionally. And it is a real concern, when you look at the world, that there’s no place you’d rather be than here in Australia.”
A debate over social cohesion and extremism flared up earlier this month over anti-immigration rallies held in the streets of Melbourne and Sydney. On September 2, Albanese raised the alarm about intimidatory community activists after he was heckled and chased by tractors full of demonstrators frustrated with a transmission line project in the Victorian town of Ballarat.
The nation’s top spy, Mike Burgess, has warned for two years that the actions and words of politicians risked fuelling political violence following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Authorities’ concerns during that time have been compounded by people waving Hamas and Hezbollah insignia at pro-Palestine rallies.
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Teal MP Allegra Spender urged Australians to continue “listening to each other and disagreeing in a constructive way” following Kirk’s death.
Spender found that she never felt unsafe while appearing in public places, saying it was a “wonderful thing” that high-profile politicians can travel freely across Australia.
“You can’t end up with this sort of division and sort of violence that we have seen in the US,” Spender told Nine’s Today. “It’s frightening.”
