The Helen Haines tragedy has shocked Australia. Its horrors highlight the crumbling foundations of our system | Tom McIlroy
News Source
β’Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:00:31 GMT
π° What Happened
Helen Haines was allegedly hit by a car twice outside her Wangaratta office on Monday afternoon. The independent MP for Indi lost both legs and remains in hospital. A man has been charged, and the reason for the attack is not yet clear.
The news broke on the same day the government named a new head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Haines had forced that watchdog onto the political agenda and helped design it. Her work on rural mental health was also overshadowed.
π The Backstory
Haines, a former nurse, won the safe Nationals seat of Indi in 2019 as an independent. She built her career on quiet local work and on integrity in politics, and became deputy chair of the committee overseeing the corruption body.
Women in parliament say they had long feared violence like this. Many described threats, stalkers and abuse aimed at their families. The attack has pushed questions about MP security to the top of the political agenda.
π― Why It Matters
A politician was attacked for doing her job. If public service becomes dangerous, fewer ordinary people will put their hand up.
Helen Haines was allegedly hit by a car twice outside her Wangaratta office on Monday afternoon. The independent MP for Indi lost both legs and remains in hospital. A man has been charged, and the reason for the attack is not yet clear.
The news broke on the same day the government named a new head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Haines had forced that watchdog onto the political agenda and helped design it. Her work on rural mental health was also overshadowed.
Haines, a former nurse, won the safe Nationals seat of Indi in 2019 as an independent. She built her career on quiet local work and on integrity in politics, and became deputy chair of the committee overseeing the corruption body.
Women in parliament say they had long feared violence like this. Many described threats, stalkers and abuse aimed at their families. The attack has pushed questions about MP security to the top of the political agenda.
A politician was attacked for doing her job. If public service becomes dangerous, fewer ordinary people will put their hand up.