Statement from Mayor of Hume City: Attack on Helen Haines

I would like to acknowledge the horrific attack on Dr Helen Haines, the Federal Member for Indi.

Our thoughts are with Helen, her husband Phil, their family, her staff and the entire Indi community as they navigate the aftermath of an event that has shocked people right across Australia. 

What has happened to Helen is almost beyond comprehension. Whether this was an attack connected to her role as a parliamentarian, an act of violence against a woman, or a combination of factors that are still being investigated, it has touched a nerve with many of us. 

But whatever the motive, one fact remains unchanged. 

A woman has suffered life-changing injuries. 

A family has been traumatised. 

A community is hurting. 

And Australians are once again confronting the consequences of violence. 

As a woman in public life, and as someone who regularly engages with our community on difficult and sometimes divisive issues, this has resonated deeply with me. 

While we do not yet know the full circumstances that led to this attack, it comes at a time when many elected representatives are experiencing increasing hostility in their interactions with the public. 

Respectful disagreement remains an essential part of democracy, but rudeness, aggression and personal attacks are increasingly being treated as normal. They are not. 

Most people engage respectfully, even when they disagree. But the growing level of aggression directed at elected representatives is something many of us have experienced firsthand, and it cannot simply be accepted as just part of the job. 

Here in Hume, we know all too well the devastating impact of violence against women. We see its effects in our neighbourhoods, our services and in the experiences of women and families across our community. 

That is why this moment matters. 

Not because of politics. 

But because every act of violence chips away at the kind of society we want to be. 

Helen has built a reputation for integrity, compassion, and service. She is respected across the political spectrum because of the way she conducts herself and the commitment that she has shown to her community. 

Tonight, our focus is not on politics. It is on Helen, her recovery, and on the people who love her. 

On behalf of Hume City Council, I wish Helen strength for the journey ahead and extend our thoughts to her family, friends, her staff and her community. 

And I hope that, in the days and weeks ahead, we reflect not only on what happened, but on the responsibility all of us share to reject violence and to treat one another with the dignity and the respect that every person deserves.