Premier ‘deeply appalled’ after Indi MP Haines injured – as it happened
News Source
•Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:44:09 GMT
📰 What Happened
The Guardian's live blog followed Monday's incident hour by hour. It reported that Haines was due on the ABC's Afternoon Briefing before she was struck. The blog closed on Monday night with a summary of what is known.
Leaders from every party sent messages. The Victorian premier said he was deeply appalled. Opposition leader Angus Taylor said Australians would be angry. Greens leader David Shoebridge and One Nation's Pauline Hanson also spoke.
Nationals MPs from nearby seats urged people to lower the temperature of political debate.
🔍 The Backstory
The blog noted that Haines had welcomed the new anti-corruption commissioner in a statement about an hour before the incident. The Centre for Public Integrity said a deliberate attack would be an act of democratic violence.
It pointed to police data: 1,067 reports of threatening or harassing behaviour towards high office holders in 2025-26, up 12% on the year before.
🎯 Why It Matters
The reaction shows how fast one incident can change the mood of national politics, and how many MPs now feel unsafe.
The Guardian's live blog followed Monday's incident hour by hour. It reported that Haines was due on the ABC's Afternoon Briefing before she was struck. The blog closed on Monday night with a summary of what is known.
Leaders from every party sent messages. The Victorian premier said he was deeply appalled. Opposition leader Angus Taylor said Australians would be angry. Greens leader David Shoebridge and One Nation's Pauline Hanson also spoke.
Nationals MPs from nearby seats urged people to lower the temperature of political debate.
The blog noted that Haines had welcomed the new anti-corruption commissioner in a statement about an hour before the incident. The Centre for Public Integrity said a deliberate attack would be an act of democratic violence.
It pointed to police data: 1,067 reports of threatening or harassing behaviour towards high office holders in 2025-26, up 12% on the year before.
The reaction shows how fast one incident can change the mood of national politics, and how many MPs now feel unsafe.