In an hour-long debate, Mr Waters, MS for Llanelli, said that “no doubt, politics in this country has become darker””.
He recounted a year in his consistency where he had encountered “lying, manipulation, racist abuse, arson” and “mobs whipped up by the visiting far right descending on the homes of those who put their heads above the parapet”.
He added: “It’s been an awful, upsetting experience seeing ugliness becoming quietly normalised.
“It’s naive… to think that democratic traditions are sacred. We mustn’t allow this… norm spoiling in any form.”
Peter Fox, Welsh Conservative, told the debate: “It is so fundamental that we try to rebuild the trust that has been diminished in in our vocation, because it’s so fundamental to democracy that we are trusted and believed.
“Sadly, that’s been eroded.”
But he said he was concerned Mr Antoniw’s proposal “might not give the parliamentary time to enable things to go forward”.
