At least nine MPs will have security upgrades for their electorate offices brought forward, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has confirmed. The move follows an alleged attack last Monday on independent MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta office. Haines was struck repeatedly by a four-wheel drive and has lost both legs. She remains in a serious but stable condition in a Melbourne hospital, and police are examining the motive. Gallagher also urged social media companies to act on threats posted on their platforms against women in public life.
Independent MP Zali Steggall and Liberal MP Julian Leeser have accused Opposition Leader Angus Taylor of not reading the room in his speech about Helen Haines. Taylor said the alleged attack on Haines was unfathomable, and he disagreed with any link between parliamentary debate and violence. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Haines in parliament, calling her a fighter. Haines has been granted leave of absence until at least the end of the sitting year.
Federal MPs are calling for tighter security after a car allegedly struck Indi MP Helen Haines in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Cabinet committees are already meeting on security measures for parliamentarians. Police have charged a 43-year-old man, Brendan Nugent, with dangerous driving causing serious injury and other offences. Police allege the attack was targeted. Dr Haines remains in critical condition in Melbourne and has lost a leg.
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Independent MP Helen Haines was hit by a car on Monday in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as an attack and a deliberate act. Albanese said Haines is someone of integrity who treats everyone with respect. Haines, the member for the north-eastern Victorian electorate of Indi, has long championed integrity and rural health. She was a key figure in establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Politicians across the parliament, including opposition leader Angus Taylor, expressed shock and support for her.
WA Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend Federal Parliament during an investigation into decade-long allegations of inappropriate comments and behaviour towards women. He has also taken leave from the party room and denies the claims. Seven staffers and party members raised the complaints in a letter to Greens leadership. Party leader David Shoebridge says he had not heard of the allegations before the letter, and the matter has been referred to the WA branch for independent investigation. Questions remain about who will conduct the inquiry and whether findings will be made public.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the government should block the broadcast or live stream of a US military execution, calling it barbaric. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce agreed, comparing it to a Roman amphitheatre and saying it should not be watched. The government was less clear on whether the stream should be banned. In Parliament, small business minister Anne Aly was questioned by the Coalition about when she learned the ATO would ban credit card payments. Aly said she found out at the same time as the public.
