View from The Hill: Sombre and well-behaved House focuses on the unifying figure of Helen Haines
- Written by: Weekend Times
An orange cockatoo was perched on the seat of Helen Haines, the independent member for Indi, as colleagues across the House of Representatives paid tribute to the MP, who suffered horrific injuries
in an alleged attack a week ago.
Many women members were wearing white; numerous MPs had touches of orange – the colour (like the cockatoo) marking Haines’ campaign. Crossbenchers were especially emotional, some in tears.
The widespread respect across the chamber for Haines – for her integrity, decency, and political style of determination without confrontation – was palpable.
Haines’ husband Phil met MPs privately to share with them the latest about the progress of his wife of almost 40 years.
Haines was allegedly rammed by a vehicle outside her Wangaratta office on Monday of last week. Brendan Nugent, from a nearby town, has been changed in relation to the alleged attack, for which the motive is not yet known.
Haines has lost both legs. Her condition is serious (rather than critical, as it was earlier), and both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor in their speeches anticipated her returning to her place in the chamber.
Albanese, saying “the shock from what happened last Monday is like a stone in our hearts”, spoke of “looking across at the Member for Indi’s seat over there, and hoping and looking forward to the day in which she’s back here representing the community that she loves.
"A community that, right now, is hurting badly, as are her wonderful, close-knit staff here and in Wangaratta and Wodonga. Our hearts are with you.
"We look across to the Member for Indi’s place and, despite ourselves, half expect to see her face – like a trick the heart plays on the mind, if only to grant us a moment’s respite from the truth.
"Right now, our friend and colleague is in hospital, grievously injured, the shape of her life and her family’s lives changed forever.”
Albanese warned that the rise in anger and division corroding our public discourse could not be shrugged off. Enabled by social media’s anonymity and speed, “we are seeing rage and aggression increasing, not just in politics, but towards workers in hospitality and retail, in schools and in hospitals, towards police, paramedics and other officials. We are seeing a normalisation of the language of grievance and violence.”
Taylor said when Haines resumed her seat in the parliament, “that will be a resounding moment for our democracy.
"A moment when our nation says with one voice to those who seek to undermine our way of life through intimidation and violence: you will not break us; you will not silence us; you will not change us.”
Taylor said some had suggested “that there is a causal connection between robust parliamentary debate and political violence. I disagree with this view.
"Our democratic system has served us well – from our colonies, through to Federation, to the present day,” he said.
“The Westminster system is about settling differences through robust and rigorous debate – not violence.
"With symbolic significance, the distance between the prime minister and opposition leader is said to be the length of two swords.
"Importantly, we debate with adversarial vigour.
"But we never allow that vigorous parliamentary debate to spill over into violence.”
Later on the ABC, independent Monique Ryan criticised Taylor’s speech. “If Angus Taylor doesn’t think that the words that we use matter, I don’t understand why he aspires to lead a political party in this country.”
In the House, the independent member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, addressed Haines directly: “Phil told us about your first words when you woke up after the attack, and said that your first concerns when you awoke were for your staff and gratitude to the first responders, nurses and bystanders”.
Apart from question time, which MPs kept a low key, well-behaved affair devoid of the normal unruliness, the day in the house was devoted to Haines.
In question time, independent Andrew Gee asked about needed better health and mental health services in regional areas. There has been speculation about the role of mental health issues in the alleged attack.
Appearing at Senate estimates, Parliamentary Budget Officer Sam Reinhardt said: “We recognise that Dr Haines played an important role in parliamentary accountability and transparency and her commitment to the role of the PBO, as the only Independent member to have all of her commitments costed in the last two elections commitments reports”.
Former opposition leader Peter Dutton said the rule of law had been abandoned online. Speaking to News24, he said “the social media companies have completely abrogated their responsibilities”.
Meanwhile in Victoria, with a state election only weeks away, state emergency services minister Paul Edbrooke at the weekend found a bullet on his car bonnet.
Edbrooke, a former firefighter, said on radio that the bullet was inscribed with “RAT” and his former firefighter number.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
