We can’t accept a political culture that discourages good people from serving their communities

For years, we have watched political violence and intimidation become an increasingly disturbing feature of democracies overseas, perhaps believing that Australia was different.

The alleged attack on independent member for Indi Dr Helen Haines has forced us to confront how naive that assumption may have been.

I left politics earlier this year after 14 years in the South Australian parliament, the last three as deputy premier to Peter Malinauskas.

I held major portfolios, made difficult decisions that affected thousands of Australians and experienced firsthand the relentless scrutiny that comes with public office.

I know how demanding political life can be, and how seriously the overwhelming majority of politicians take their responsibilities. But no amount of experience prepares you for the possibility that simply doing your job could put your safety at risk.

What has happened to Helen is devastating. It should also make us think deeply about the environment in which we expect our elected representatives to work, and what that means for people who might consider entering politics.

The findings of the 2026 McKinnon Index give us further reason for concern. More than one in four young Australian men aged 18 to 24 now believe violence can sometimes be justified to advance a cause they care about. It is a deeply troubling finding.

The index also found that almost three-quarters of Australians believe the country has become more divided, while just 35.5 per cent consider our political debate healthy and respectful.

Confidence that people can freely express their political opinions has fallen by almost 10 percentage points in a year.

We should be concerned about what this means for our democracy, particularly if capable Australians look at the abuse and intimidation directed towards politicians and decide public life is simply not worth it.

Yet, there is another side to the McKinnon Index. More than three-quarters of Australians still believe democracy is preferable to any other system of government, and more than 80 per cent believe protecting it should be a priority.

That tells us Australians have not lost faith in democracy. But that faith needs to be matched by a serious commitment to the people we entrust with leading our country.

Politics is among the most consequential jobs in our nation. In every other field where the stakes are high, from running a major company to leading a government department, we invest in developing people’s professional capacity.

We should bring the same expectation to supporting the people who lead our governments with quality professional development.

McKinnon’s leadership programs bring politicians from across the political spectrum together to develop the skills they need to govern well.

There is a certain magic when political opponents sit in the same room and learn alongside each other.

In South Australia, our programs brought together members on opposing sides of a challenging conscience issue, giving them the opportunity to recognise each other’s decency and professionalism. The mutual respect they developed could help make future debate more civil, recognising that people of different views can be equally well intentioned.

That experience feels particularly important now. We do not want politicians to agree on everything. But we should expect them to be able to disagree without losing respect for each other, just as Australians should be able to challenge their elected representatives without resorting to threats or intimidation.

We are also looking further ahead. Our Next Horizon program is building a pipeline of talented Australians who might otherwise never have considered a parliamentary career, giving them the confidence to step into public life.

We cannot afford a political culture that discourages good people from serving their communities.

Politicians should always be scrutinised and held to account because scrutiny is how democracy corrects itself. But scrutiny and intimidation are not the same thing.

The index tells us that Australians still believe in our stable democracy, even as they become less satisfied with the way politics operates.

The alleged attack on Helen Haines has reminded us of something far more fundamental than the frustrations of everyday politics.

Our democracy depends on capable people being willing to put themselves forward to serve, and we have a responsibility to ensure they can do so safely.

If we want better politics, we need to invest in the people who practise it and encourage the next generation to put their hands up.

That is not asking Australians to expect less of their politicians. It is giving them a better chance of meeting the expectations we rightly place upon them.

Dr Susan Close is chief executive of the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership and a former deputy premier of South Australia.

This article is part of a content partnership with McKinnon, an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit that focuses on the importance of democracy and good government.