The Aporia · Small business minister says she’s had 19 death threats this week

Small Business Minister Anne Aly disclosed receiving 19 death threats this week after Liberal MP Angie Bell suggested Aly and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should be “stoned in the square” due to a tax office ban on credit card payments for taxes. Bell later apologized, stating her comment was made in anger over the government’s handling of small businesses but maintained concerns about the impact on these enterprises under current policies.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-13, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

Story summary

Anne Aly, Australia's Small Business Minister, revealed she has received 19 death threats this week after Liberal MP Angie Bell suggested Aly and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should be "stoned in the square" over a decision by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to ban credit card payments for tax bills. Bell made these remarks during question time on Tuesday, as part of an opposition attack on the government's handling of small businesses. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has since negotiated a delay in the ATO's ban and promised consultations with the business community. The controversy comes amid concerns from small businesses about increased costs due to recent Reserve Bank decisions banning credit card surcharges. Aly, who is Muslim, described Bell’s comments as racist and misogynistic, stating they are contrary to Australian values.

Written for “Death Threats Against Politician” on 2026-10-13, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

Why this leaning score

The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted verbatim and was checked against the article text before being stored, so you can find it in the original.

Labor MPs had otherwise celebrated the Reserve Bank’s decision as a cost-of-living measure, which has led some businesses to pass costs onto consumers by raising prices, and others to stop credit cards being used for payments altogether.

left criticizes government policy for harming small businesses
Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson proposed new laws on Tuesday that would force the tax office to reinstate credit card payments.

right supports opposition's legislative action to help small businesses

Reading Leans left (beta estimate) Confidence medium 1 quote(s) discarded as not found in the article

Leaning: leans left for article 75904 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-10-13

📰 Death Threats Against Politician

Politics · 3 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

This article reads leans left and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Anne Aly reveals she has received 19 death threats in the last week alone same event · 100%

The Guardian

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 21 📰 publisher trust 69

“Both articles describe Minister Anne Aly receiving 19 death threats and condemning Liberal MP Angie Bell's remarks about being 'stoned in the square' over a tax office decision.”

Anne Aly accuses Liberal MP of racism after 'stoning' comment same event · 95%

ABC News (AU)

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 33% hedged 1 of 3 📰 publisher trust 61

“Both articles describe Liberal MP Angie Bell's comment about 'stoning' Small Business Minister Anne Aly and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which occurred on the same day in parliament.”

Labor has 'real concerns' over ATO ban on credit cards different event · 85%

Daily Mail

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 22% hedged 4 of 18 📰 publisher trust 64

“The articles cover related topics but describe different events: one discusses Labor's concerns about the ATO ban on credit cards, while the other reports on death threats faced by a minister due to opposition criticism of this decision.”

Albo celebrating getting rid of card surcharges with a cutesy video. Now the law of unintended consequences (and pure incompetence) has bitten him and Jim Chalmers on the bum: PETER VAN ONSELEN different event · 20%

Daily Mail

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 6% hedged 2 of 34 📰 publisher trust 64

“Article A discusses the consequences of a planned ban on credit card payments for taxes, while Article B reports on death threats faced by the Small Business Minister due to comments made about the same issue.”

Labor MPs want to find a way to keep ATO credit card payments different event · 20%

The Sydney Morning Herald

⚖️ Leans left 🔴 4% hedged 1 of 23 📰 publisher trust 61

“The articles discuss related issues around the ATO's credit card ban but describe different incidents: one about MPs pushing for a solution and another about death threats faced by a minister.”

APA MLA Chicago

Busch, B., & Chrysanthos, N. (2026, October 13). Small business minister says she’s had 19 death threats this week. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/small-business-minister-says-she-s-had-19-death-threats-this-week-20261013-p6159k.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Brittany Busch

13 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Treasurer Jim Chalmers has since negotiated a delay in the ban, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said the government will consult the business community over the issue.

2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Small business minister says she’s had 19 death threats this week

🔮 Corruption-busting barrister Geoffrey Watson, SC, has accused the Albanese government of “bully boy” tactics as it fights a Freedom of Information ruling that would reveal where nuclear waste from AUKUS submarines would be stored.

2026-10-12 · assertive framing · ‘Bully boy’ accusations fly over nuclear waste secrecy

🔮 The former treasurer, who was considered a future Liberal leader before losing his seat in 2022, has stoked speculation he will run again with the release of a new memoir, which includes criticism the party has lost touch with its roots, as well as his proposals for policy remedies.

2026-10-12 · assertive framing · ‘Things have to change’: Frydenberg launches attack on Taylor’s time as Liberal leader

🔮 Albanese later said he would not have done the podcast if he had his time again.

2026-10-10 · assertive framing · Albanese dips toe back into comedy after ‘melon’ podcast gaffe

🔮 The defeat scuppered Frydenberg’s political future, which his colleagues thought as treasurer could have included the Liberal leadership.

2026-10-09 · assertive framing · Monique Ryan says Frydenberg focused on the past, amid accusations of a ‘toxic’ campaign

🔮 The ATO said it would stop taking credit card payments for tax bills from November 30, arguing it could not absorb the fees.

2026-10-08 · assertive framing · Labor ministers contradict each other over ATO credit card surcharge ban

🔮 But the home building sector has this year been hit by a series of interest rate hikes, higher construction prices due to the Middle East war and uncertainty prompted by the May budget’s housing tax changes which are yet to properly flow through to the figures.

2026-10-07 · assertive framing · Home construction is up but still well short of government targets

🔮 Migration levels would be slashed in half during the first three years of a Coalition government, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has announced, under a plan he says would not hit the budget bottom line.

2026-10-06 · assertive framing · ‘A home not a hotel’: Coalition promises largest migration cut in Australian history

🔮 As OpenAI apologises for its rogue agents that broke into a Medicare portal, the Albanese government races to attract billions of dollars in data centre investment, and tech leaders warn AI could pose an existential threat to humanity, the economic weekly’s findings have sparked a debate around how MPs should be using the technology.

2026-09-30 · assertive framing · ‘Bludgeoned with platitudes’: Australian politicians lead the English-speaking world in AI speeches

🔮 The inquiry does not have the power to compel foreigners to appear, but it could turn up the pressure on their Australian representatives if the chief executives refuse to front.

2026-09-26 · assertive framing · Australian senators summon OpenAI boss as hack expands beyond Medicare

Also by Brittany Busch

‘Bully boy’ accusations fly over nuclear waste secrecy

2026-10-12 · The Sydney Morning Herald

‘Things have to change’: Frydenberg launches attack on Taylor’s time as Liberal leader

2026-10-12 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Albanese dips toe back into comedy after ‘melon’ podcast gaffe

2026-10-10 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Monique Ryan says Frydenberg focused on the past, amid accusations of a ‘toxic’ campaign

2026-10-09 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 13 articles by Brittany Busch →

Natassia Chrysanthos

5 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Treasurer Jim Chalmers has since negotiated a delay in the ban, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said the government will consult the business community over the issue.

2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Small business minister says she’s had 19 death threats this week

🔮 We’ve collected a bunch of questions that people have left on our pages, and I was hoping you could talk us through them.

2026-10-08 · assertive framing · ‘Are migrants just a scapegoat?’ Your questions answered

🔮 On the first day of this year, at New York’s City Hall, socialist senator Bernie Sanders declared it was time for wealthy corporations to pay their fair share of tax as left-wing mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn in.

2026-10-02 · assertive framing · The Greens want to catch the Mamdani wave. But can the minor party really become ‘unashamedly populist’?

🔮 Many Australians would best know his face from viral clips of his back-and-forth with ministers and senior bureaucrats during upper house hearings.

2026-09-30 · assertive framing · David Shoebridge is one of parliament’s best operators. His new task as Greens leader is far broader

🔮 Labor is telling regional businesses to boost their workforces with Pacific migrants as it fights complaints from One Nation and industries who warn their operations will be crippled under government plans to cut thousands of working holidaymakers.

2026-09-28 · assertive framing · Labor pushes to boost Pacific workers as Joyce says some Australians ‘bung lazy’

Also by Natassia Chrysanthos

‘Are migrants just a scapegoat?’ Your questions answered

2026-10-08 · The Sydney Morning Herald

The Greens want to catch the Mamdani wave. But can the minor party really become ‘unashamedly populist’?

2026-10-02 · The Sydney Morning Herald

David Shoebridge is one of parliament’s best operators. His new task as Greens leader is far broader

2026-09-30 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Labor pushes to boost Pacific workers as Joyce says some Australians ‘bung lazy’

2026-09-28 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Opposition MP Angie Bell made the remarks before question time on Tuesday, which the opposition used for a second day to attack the government on behalf of small businesses following the Australian Tax Office’s decision to ban credit card payments used to pay tax bills.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-13

🔮 Treasurer Jim Chalmers has since negotiated a delay in the ban, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said the government will consult the business community over the issue.

2026-10-13 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Small business minister says she’s had 19 death threats this week · assertive framing

Small Business Minister Anne Aly revealed she has received 19 death threats this week, as she condemned a Liberal MP for saying she and the prime minister should be “stoned in the square” over the tax office’s ban on credit card payments. asserted

she → reveal → payments

opposition → make → bills

The tax office’s decision this month came after the Reserve Bank earlier this year banned credit card surcharges getting passed on to consumers. asserted

Bank → come → consumers

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has since negotiated a delay in the ban, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said the government will consult the business community over the issue. asserted

government → negotiate → issue

Labor MPs had otherwise celebrated the Reserve Bank’s decision as a cost-of-living measure, which has led some businesses to pass costs onto consumers by raising prices, and others to stop credit cards being used for payments altogether. asserted

cards → celebrate → payments

Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson proposed new laws on Tuesday that would force the tax office to reinstate credit card payments. asserted

that → propose → payments

Speaking in support of the bill, Bell said: “Shame on this Labor government.” asserted

Bell → speak → government

“They need to be backing in small business, and they need to stop this credit card ban and allow small and family businesses to have the cash flow that they need to make money,” she said. asserted

she → need → money

“This minister [Anne Aly] and this prime minister should be absolutely shamed and stoned in the square.” asserted

minister → sham → square

Bell was ordered to withdraw her comments. asserted

Bell → order → comments

In an Instagram post on Tuesday afternoon, Aly shared the clip, saying she did not usually comment on such matters but felt she must. asserted

she → share → matters

“This past week alone I’ve had 19 death threats on my social media, and in the past I’ve had death threats that are couched in that exact same language: ‘stone her’,” she said in a video. asserted

she → have → video

“It’s not just something that a parliamentarian shouldn’t say, in terms of advocating violence against another parliamentarian. asserted

parliamentarian → ’ → parliamentarian

It is something that stands against our Australian values. asserted

that → stand → values

“We are a country that proudly stands against violence against women, and against regimes that use brutal methods like stoning against women. asserted

that → stand → women

This is not just something that we should turn away from. asserted

we → turn → that

It is racist, it is misogynistic, and it should never have been said.” asserted

it → say → ?

Asked for comment, Bell told this masthead: “I immediately withdrew the comment.” asserted

I → ask → comment

“It was a poor choice of words in the heat of the moment, when I was trying to reflect the dire situation that small businesses face under the Albanese Labor government,” she said. asserted

she → try → government

“My concerns about this government’s treatment of small and family businesses remain and I will continue to stand up for the hardworking Australians who run the businesses that provide jobs and keep our economy moving.” asserted

economy → remain → jobs

During question time on Tuesday afternoon, Aly said Labor was listening to stakeholders before accusing Opposition Leader Angus Taylor of “cosplaying” in front of small businesses for social media. asserted

Labor → say → media

“Those on the other side can talk as much as they like, but they’re not out there visiting small businesses,” Aly said. asserted

Aly → talk → businesses

Taylor laughed in response, having used the winter break to meet small business owners around the country. asserted

Taylor → laugh → country

Police have received a growing number of reports about security risks to politicians, including threats to kill and threats of sexual violence. asserted

Police → receive → violence

Threats against politicians and staff members rose from 555 in 2022 to 1009 in 2024. asserted

Threats → rise → 2024

Thirty-eight people have been charged with Commonwealth crimes since last September for threatening MPs and other high office holders. asserted

people → charge → MPs

A wider range of MPs, including Liberal Andrew Hastie, now receive higher levels of protection at their homes, offices and at events. asserted

range → include → events

Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. asserted

Subscribers → sign → newsletter

Small business minister says she’s had 19 death threats this week

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