Helen Haines, the independent MP for Indi, was struck by a car in an alleged intentional attack in north-east Victoria on Monday afternoon last week. Over the weekend, her condition was downgraded from critical to serious but stable after surgeons amputated both her legs. The 43-year-old Wangaratta man accused of the attack, Brendan Nugent, was arrested by police after the incident.
Parliamentarians returning to Canberra on Monday will be met with increased security, including in committee rooms. The Albanese government is considering fast-tracking an inquiry into support for MPs as part of a plan to bolster security following the attack.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to deliver a tribute speech for Haines this morning, to be followed by many colleagues. The sitting week will also see debate on Labor’s proposed Digital Duty of Care laws, which would allow social media users to shut off algorithms and sue platforms for harm experienced online. The bill faces backlash from tech companies and the US administration, and a Senate inquiry.
Member for Curtin Kate Chaney told ABC Radio National she would sign a civility pledge that Haines had been the first and only federal MP to sign two months ago. “This is very much an optional thing. There’s no pressure on MPs to do this,” Chaney said. “It just says: in my political life, I pledge to act with honesty, respect and compassion … That feels to me like a simple and poignant way to honour the contribution Helen’s made.”
Health Minister Mark Butler said the uptick in violent threats was a broad community issue experienced by frontline workers across sectors. “We’ve had to put in place additional security arrangements at hospitals,” he told Nine’s Today show. “So this is a broad community issue I think that this horrific attack on Helen has brought to the fore for Australia.”
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek called the attack a turning point, saying parliamentarians could engage in robust debate without meanness. “It is really possible to have strong debate about issues without any censorship, and not be mean, and not be cruel, and not inflame things,” she said. Plibersek urged everyone to consider how to be kinder to people around them.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett drew a direct link between inflamed rhetoric and the rise in violent threats. Meanwhile, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has hit out at critics who say her party’s cartoons are contributing to the febrile environment.