Indi MP loses both legs in attack as crossbench MPs rebuke opposition speech

Parliament resumed in Canberra on Monday following an alleged attack that left Indi MP Helen Haines without both legs. The incident occurred outside her electorate office in northern Victoria exactly one week ago. A 43-year-old man has been charged with the offense, and police continue their investigation without disclosing a confirmed motive.

The return of the House has centered on the conduct of political discourse. Two crossbench members, Monique Ryan and Zali Steggall, described opposition leader Angus Taylor’s response to the violence as tone deaf. They accused Taylor of failing to read the room while the nation processes the trauma.

Taylor addressed the chamber to reject the notion that parliamentary behavior feeds into political violence. He stated that some have suggested a causal connection between robust debate and aggression, a view he disagreed with. He argued that the Westminster system is designed to settle differences through rigorous discussion rather than physical force.

Ryan, the independent member for Kooyong, called the opposition leader’s remarks hugely disappointing. She told ABC TV that if Taylor believes the words politicians use do not matter, she cannot understand how he aspires to lead a party. Ryan noted that if the parliament cannot rise to the occasion after such an unthinkable event, it never will.

Steggall, who sits beside Haines in the lower house, said she was personally disappointed in Taylor’s speech. She emphasized that there is a link between words and actions and felt Taylor had not grasped the lesson Haines would want people to learn. She added that the same care should apply to media reporting, election advertising, and social media.

Steggall spoke with Haines’s husband, Phil Haines, in Canberra on Monday. Phil Haines asked MPs to raise the bar so that a meaningful shift toward respectful debate would occur before Helen Haines returns to parliament. Steggall relayed his message: We can disagree respectfully, but words matter and have an impact.

Former Liberal leader Peter Dutton told News24 that more violence against Australian politicians is inevitable. He said the attack came as no surprise to him and has been building for a long period. One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce also opposed changing parliamentary practice, calling the incident so unAustralian. Joyce said that changing question time would not solve the problem, pointing instead to vindictive rhetoric in public life.