In short:
Some NSW MPs who attended a parliament safety briefing say they have been left more concerned about their protection.
asserted
they → attend → protection
Liberal MP Alister Henskens said a few MPs were teary after the meeting, called after the attack on Helen Haines in Victoria.
asserted
MPs → say → Victoria
More special constables have been assigned and parliament is undergoing a major security upgrade.
asserted
parliament → assign → upgrade
A meeting that was supposed to reassure New South Wales MPs about their safety has left some politicians even more concerned about their levels of protection in parliament.
asserted
that → suppose → parliament
Following the attack on federal independent MP Helen Haines, state MPs were offered a security briefing from police and parliamentary security.
asserted
MPs → follow → police
Not all of them got the answers they had hoped for.
asserted
they → get → answers
"There was a high degree of anxiety following the briefing," Liberal MP Alister Henskens said.
asserted
Henskens → be → briefing
The attack on Ms Haines in Victoria magnified the security concerns that some NSW MPs already held, after an anti-coal protester jumped over the barrier of the public gallery and onto the floor of parliament last week.
asserted
protester → magnify → parliament
While the demonstrator yelled at the premier, he was restrained by MPs and the deputy serjeant-at-arms until special constables arrived.
asserted
constables → yell → arms
"The issue that occurred last week was the slowness of the response by security," Mr Henskens said.
asserted
Henskens → occur → security
During the briefing, several politicians advocated for heightened security in the chamber, including North Shore MP Felicity Wilson and Hawkesbury MP Robyn Preston.
asserted
politicians → advocate → Wilson
Mr Henskens said the security briefing seemed to gloss over the incident.
asserted
briefing → say → incident
"It was only [during] questions that actually the incident of last week and the security response was even raised," he said.
asserted
he → raise → week
"And it was done in a very piecemeal and inadequate way."
Several MPs, who asked not to be named, agreed with Mr Henskens's assessment.
"
asserted
who → do → assessment
The elephant in the room wasn't addressed,"one MP said.
asserted
MP → say → room
"They weren't taking it very seriously."
asserted
They → take → it
Another MP said the briefing seemed like a "box-ticking exercise".
asserted
briefing → say → exercise
Parliament security criticised
When the protester jumped the barrier last week, Speaker Greg Piper called for the audio-visual transmission of Question Time to halted.
asserted
transmission → criticise → Time
"Cease the broadcast," he said.
asserted
he → cease → broadcast
This is standard protocol, which is partly designed to deprive those who interrupt parliament of multi-camera coverage.
asserted
who → design → coverage
However, MPs who attended the Thursday's briefing were told the interruption to transmission also left security personnel without a clear picture of what had happened in the chamber.
asserted
what → attend → chamber
Mr Henskens said there was also confusion as to which security staff were allowed onto the tightly-controlled floor of parliament.
"
asserted
staff → say → parliament
We spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars on security, and yet a completely foreseeable event like this occurred last week," he said.
asserted
he → spend → this
"They seem to have no idea how they should respond."
asserted
they → seem → idea
Mr Piper told the ABC he took the security of MPs seriously and additional special constables had been assigned as a result of last week's security breach in parliament.
asserted
constables → tell → parliament
During the security briefing, MPs raised another incident from last week, in which a fire alarm prompted the evacuation of parliament.
"The way in which people were able to re-enter parliament without any security whatsoever raised a lot of concerns amongst the MPs as to the safety," Mr Henskens said.
asserted
Henskens → raise → safety
Parliament is in the process of a major security upgrade, including building additional checkpoints to control who comes and goes.
asserted
who → include → checkpoints
All visitors need to pass through metal detectors and have their bags X-rayed, unless they hold a security pass.
'We take every threat seriously'
On the same day Ms Haines was attacked, Nationals MP Nichole Overall received what she regarded an online death threat.
asserted
she → need → what
On Wednesday, Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst told parliament a man had previously broken into her apartment.
asserted
man → tell → apartment
She said she had also received online threats suggesting she could be assassinated.
uncertain
she → say → threats
Ahead of the briefing, Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told 702 ABC Sydney MPs would be offered practical security advice.
asserted
MPs → tell → advice
He said local area commanders knew where MPs lived and would provide additional protection to them, if required.
asserted
MPs → say → them
"We take very prompt action.
asserted
We → take → action
We take every threat seriously,"Mr Lanyon said.
asserted
Lanyon → take → threat
MPs who attended the briefing said they were encouraged not to go to public events alone and to be mindful of advertising their locations.
asserted
they → attend → locations
Premier condemns abusive 'pigs'
asserted
Premier → condemn → pigs
While NSW Premier Chris Minns has had close encounters with non-violent protesters, he said he had not had any "major problems".
asserted
he → have → problems
Mr Minns is provided with a team of specially-trained police officers who protect him and other high-profile dignitaries.
asserted
who → provide → him
However he said his female parliamentary colleagues were repeatedly targeted by individuals who he described as "scum" and "pigs".
asserted
he → say → scum
"I haven't met a female member of parliament who hasn't, at one stage or another, been attacked in person, or online, and usually both,"he said.
asserted
both,"he → meet → person
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
