Political hate speech can have real-world fallout. After the alleged attack on Helen Haines, our leaders must act | Paul Daley

Social media amplify the worst excesses of what passes for public discourse, while some media outlets foment polarisation

I f the increasingly vituperative tenor of our public discourse, online and verbal, has fully trailed America’s into the murky dungeon of political violence with the appalling alleged attack on Helen Haines, Australia’s political class has only itself to blame.

Amid outpourings of concern from across the political spectrum (including from people who have fostered considerable vicious personal animus online and in the parliament) for the gravely injured and much-respected member for Indi , it is blindingly evident that the political square has long been utterly incapable of self-regulation.

There are no consequences for the abuse hurled across the chambers by Australia’s elected representatives beyond brief parliamentary suspension amid the invariably blokey guffaws. There are no consequences for political operatives here – students of the US experts of weaponising political hatred – who pursue their opponents and critics online with the most vicious, cruel and offensive personal attacks, sometimes under the purported guise of humour.

The ongoing traditional political race-call, for all of its marketability of conflict, meanwhile, reports both the anguish of the attack targets and the dismissive calls for them to effectively harden TF up. It’s just a bit of a joke, don’t you know, snowflakes? All’s fair in the tinderbox of politics. It’s not for the faint-hearted, after all.

Do the worst public excesses of personal invective by elected representatives seep into the broader community and license them to do the same? Undoubtedly. But do they transmogrify into actual political violence?

What has happened to Haines is still being investigated but has of course given elected representatives pause to stop and think. The question is, how will they act to change things?

The last fortnight or so in Australian politics is a particular a case in point – a burning example of the need to “turn the temperature down” in line with the prime minister’s repeated entreaties to parliamentary colleagues.

There have been verbal evocations of violence (of public execution) in the House of Representatives (defended by senior mainstream politicians) and (of a murder fantasy) at a major conference of purportedly “conservative’’ leading thinkers.

Social media echo and amplify the worst excesses of what passes for public/political discourse. It also too often contorts it into ideations and outright threats of violence against politicians and sometimes their staff, too often gendered and sexual. Security authorities have been consistently warning about the increasing threats to MPs, especially women.

Meanwhile media – old and new – have their own onerous responsibilities in this increasingly polarised space.