By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair's communications director Alastair Campbell has urged Australia to "re-win the argument for democratic politics" following the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines outside her electorate office in northern Victoria. Haines lost both legs in the incident, and a 43-year-old man has been charged.
UK experience shows rhetoric returns quickly
Speaking on the Guardian's Australian Politics podcast, Campbell said the killings of British MPs Jo Cox and David Amess, and the attack on former politician Ann Widdecombe, prompted temporary calls for cultural change but did not produce lasting improvement. "It didn't take long before we kind of got right back into it," he said, warning that overheated rhetoric and polarisation quickly returned to UK politics.
Haines' return could sustain focus
Campbell, co-host of The Rest is Politics podcast, said Haines' eventual return to parliament may help maintain public attention on the consequences of political violence. "The fact that she is still with us and is going to still be part of the political debate, maybe that will help people see that that is the consequence of the actions that were taken against her," he said.
Populism driven by unresolved financial crisis fallout
Campbell linked the rise of populist politics globally to the unresolved aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, citing "socialism for the banks who caused it, and austerity for the people." He said this fuels cost-of-living pressures and erodes trust in democratic institutions, noting that Donald Trump's rhetoric exemplifies the style of politics democratic systems must counter.
Speaking tour and new book
Campbell is due to visit Australia for a speaking tour next month. His latest book, Perseverance: The Word the World Needs Now, was published by Allen and Unwin.
