I spent a week watching Helen Haines in action in Canberra. It was the most inspiring week of my life | Tim Berenyi
News Source
β’Wed, 21 Oct 2026 23:56:36 GMT
π° What Happened
Tim Berenyi wrote in the Guardian about a week he spent with Helen Haines in Canberra. In May he joined her volunteer program during budget week. He watched her take meetings, give speeches and talk with people from every party. She also baked seven sponge cakes for the people around her.
Berenyi said it was the most inspiring week of his life. He asked why she baked the cakes. She said people appreciate a bit of kindness, and everyone loves cake. He also noted that volunteers were treated with respect wherever they went, because of her reputation.
π The Backstory
Berenyi moved home to Mansfield, a town in the Indi electorate, two years ago at age 30. He said he wanted to be part of the community Haines was building. Her example led him to run for local council as an independent.
He wrote that the news of Monday's alleged attack left him sick with disbelief, anger and sadness. The region has been through bushfires, floods, fugitives and lockdowns since 2019. He said Haines was the steady, smiling face through all of it.
π― Why It Matters
It shows how one MP's daily kindness can change a community. Small acts, like baking a cake, build trust in politics.
Tim Berenyi wrote in the Guardian about a week he spent with Helen Haines in Canberra. In May he joined her volunteer program during budget week. He watched her take meetings, give speeches and talk with people from every party. She also baked seven sponge cakes for the people around her.
Berenyi said it was the most inspiring week of his life. He asked why she baked the cakes. She said people appreciate a bit of kindness, and everyone loves cake. He also noted that volunteers were treated with respect wherever they went, because of her reputation.
Berenyi moved home to Mansfield, a town in the Indi electorate, two years ago at age 30. He said he wanted to be part of the community Haines was building. Her example led him to run for local council as an independent.
He wrote that the news of Monday's alleged attack left him sick with disbelief, anger and sadness. The region has been through bushfires, floods, fugitives and lockdowns since 2019. He said Haines was the steady, smiling face through all of it.
It shows how one MP's daily kindness can change a community. Small acts, like baking a cake, build trust in politics.