New Zealand speaker says threats against lawmakers have risen 'astronomically'

New Zealand's parliamentary speaker Gerry Brownlee said threats against lawmakers have risen sharply in recent years and security measures have been tightened.

New Zealand's parliamentary speaker Gerry Brownlee said threats against lawmakers have risen "astronomically" over the past three years and security has been tightened. Between Sept. 28 and Oct. 18, Parliament's security service assessed 216 requests for help, 81 of which led to operational deployments.

Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said the unit supports lawmakers at public events, while traveling, at protests and when they face threatening behavior, and has expanded its work ahead of the election. Brownlee said the strongest-ever security protocol had been put in place with New Zealand Police.

The parliamentary complex in Wellington

Brownlee linked the rising hostility to economic pressures, social frustration and global instability, warning that online platforms amplify abusive behavior. His comments came after the attack on lawmaker Helen Haines in the Australian state of Victoria.