The deputy Prime Minister has revealed he needed to engage security detail usually only reserved for the Prime Minister to attend a public meeting recently.
The abuse and vitriol from a small sector of the public's got so intense Labour's considering axing its iconic public walkabouts on next year's election campaign.
Back in 2020, there was peak Jacindamania. A hyped-up electorate could not get enough, with Jacinda Ardern swamped by crowds during walkabouts.
But next year will not be the same.
"We are going to have to think about this election campaign in a slightly different way," Grant Robertson said on Tuesday.
That's because, peaking at the parliamentary protest, politicians are increasingly the target of abuse and threats.
"It seems to have a different, more violent nature," Greens co-leader Marama Davidson said.
Recently, the deputy Prime Minister took the unusual step of taking the Prime Minister's security detail - the DPS - with him to an event in Northland where protestors prepared with lamingtons disrupted Robertson's meetings. They followed him to a hotel and even blockaded the airport.
Newshub understands Robertson needed to be driven onto the tarmac and board directly from there.
"They were screaming and yelling at me that I was a paedophile and various other revolting things," said Robertson. "Those experiences are not great and DPS were there to protect me but they can't possibly be there to protect all politicians."
Labour is currently considering how it can campaign differently at next year's election and even potentially scrapping the famous walkabout.
"It's a fair statement that we will be doing things differently and the environment out there on the ground has changed," said Labour's Kiri Allan.
"We can't let these people win so we've gotta make sure that we still campaign but we've gotta think a bit differently," said Robertson.
National, however, is full walkabout ahead.
"[They're] opportunities for the public to interact with National MPs and other candidates. We certainly have no intention to make any change," said National campaign chair Chris Bishop.
While those seen as possible security threats are a teeny percentage of the voting population, as we saw with the occupation of Parliament, these relatively fringe groups are able to cause major disruptions.
The increasingly violent threats may mean our politicians become less accessible, so we may never again see the campaign of yesteryear.
