Threats against politicians are on the rise. How can we move to a better, safer politics?

In the days since the alleged attack on Helen Haines, Australian politicians have detailed their own experiences of abuse and threats. Composite: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design/Getty Images

“Thoughts and prayers.” After each soul-destroying mass shooting in the United States, this is the platitude invariably trotted out by every impotent politician unable to confront the stranglehold reality of the country’s gun lobby.

“Turn the temperature down,” risks becoming Australia’s equivalent. The plaintive cry to hold back a rising tide of hatred and anger, incubated, amplified and legitimised online, now spilling into grotesque real-world violence.