Australian parliament pays tribute to Helen Haines after alleged attack that cost her both legs
Australia's parliament resumed with tighter security and paid tribute to independent MP Helen Haines, who lost both legs after being rammed by a vehicle outside her Victorian office on 19 October. A man has been charged; police have not given a motive.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Australia's parliament resumed on Monday 26 October with enhanced security screening and paid tribute to independent MP Helen Haines, who was critically injured in an alleged act of political violence. The IndependentLC “Australia’s parliament resumed with increased security on Monday and paid tribute to lawmaker Helen Haines who was critically injured last week in an alleged act of political violence.” Read at The Independent ↗ Daily MirrorL “Australia’s federal Parliament met for the first time since the attack on Monday, October 26.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 2Authorities allege a driver rammed an SUV into Haines twice outside her electorate office on 19 October; the Mirror reports she was pinned between a Toyota Land Cruiser and another car outside her office in Wangaratta, rural Victoria. The IndependentLC “authorities allege a driver rammed an SUV into Ms Haines twice outside her electorate office” Read at The Independent ↗ Daily MirrorL “Haines was reportedly pinned between a Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 and another car in a deliberate attack outside her office in Wangaratta.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 2She was airlifted to hospital in Melbourne for emergency surgery and both her legs were amputated; she remained there in a serious but stable condition on Monday. Daily MirrorL “She was airlifted to hospital in Melbourne and required emergency surgery, her husband said last week.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ The IndependentLC “She remained in a Melbourne hospital on Monday in a serious but stable condition after both her legs were amputated.” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 2Brendan Nugent, from Tarrawingee, was charged with intentionally causing serious injury, dangerous driving causing serious injury and causing harm to a federal official; the Independent describes him as a 43-year-old man and says police have not revealed a motive. Daily MirrorL “Brendan Nugent, from Tarrawingee nearby to Wangaratta, was charged last Tuesday with intentionally causing serious injury, dangerous driving causing serious injury and causing harm to a federal official.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ The IndependentLC “A 43-year-old man has been charged with offences including intentionally causing serious injury. Police have not revealed a motive.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Nugent did not apply for bail or enter a plea at Wangaratta Magistrates' Court, according to Australian Associated Press, and remains in custody until his next appearance in February; police say he could face more charges. Daily MirrorL “he did not apply for bail or enter a plea, according to Australian Associated Press. He will remain in custody until his next court appearance in February.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 1Prime Minister Anthony Albanese moved a motion expressing parliament's wish for her recovery and support for her family, while her husband Phil Haines watched from the public gallery. The IndependentLC “He proposed a motion expressing parliament’s wish for her recovery and support for her family. Her husband Phil Haines looked on from parliament’s public gallery.” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 1Albanese said investigations should not be prejudged but that rising anger, enabled by social media, was distorting public discourse and being directed at workers in hospitality, retail, schools and hospitals as well as at police and paramedics. The IndependentLC ““While the investigations go on, we must not rush to conclusions. But nor can we shrug off the very real rise in anger that distorts and corrodes our public discourse,” Mr Albanese told parliament.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett said there was a "direct correlation" between the language politicians use against each other and threats and abuse directed at lawmakers, while opposition leader Angus Taylor rejected a causal link between robust parliamentary debate and political violence. The IndependentLC “Ms Barrett said there was a “direct correlation” between the language political rivals use against each other and threats and abuse directed at lawmakers from the public.”“Opposition leader Angus Taylor told parliament he disagreed with those who saw a “casual connection between robust parliamentary debate and political violence.”” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Independent MP Allegra Spender told the chamber that Haines' first concerns on waking were for her staff and gratitude to first responders, nurses and bystanders, and a seat was left empty out of respect. Daily MirrorL “your first concerns when you awoke were for your staff and gratitude to the first responders, nurses and bystanders.”“A seat was left empty out of respect” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Left · 1Speaker Milton Dick said signing a "civility pledge" was a personal decision; Haines was the first federal lawmaker to take it two months ago, and independent Kate Chaney said she intends to follow. The IndependentLC ““This is a personal decision and I encourage all Members (of Parliament) to continue these discussions to decide the best way for themselves””“Independent lawmaker Kate Chaney said she intended to follow Ms Haines’ example by making such a pledge.” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left3 outlets
- Framing
- Both UK outlets cover the Australian response; the Mirror leads on Haines' personal first words after surgery, while the Independent leads on the parliamentary tributes and Albanese's remarks on rising rage and aggression.
- Emphasis
- Human detail and Haines' character (Mirror); political debate over the tone of public discourse and the civility pledge (Independent).
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither reports a motive, which police have not given; the Mirror does not include the political leaders' competing views on parliamentary language.
- Charged language
- “rammed twice”“rage and aggression”
- For example
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“The first words of the MP when she woke up from amputation surgery after being ‘rammed twice’ with a car have been revealed.” — Daily Mirror
“We must not conflate the robustness of Australian democracy with this rising tide of rage” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Parliament resumed on 26 October, the first sitting since the 19 October attack.
- Helen Haines lost both legs and is in a Melbourne hospital in a stable condition.
- A man has been charged with offences including intentionally causing serious injury.
- The civility pledge was raised in response to the attack.
Anthony Albanese person
Albanese urged against rushing to conclusions about the attack but warned of a rise in anger and a normalisation of the language of grievance and violence, without conflating it with the robustness of Australian democracy.
“Mr Albanese described a “normalisation of the language of grievance and violence”.” — The Independent
Helen Haines person
Haines is reported to have been concerned first for her staff and grateful to responders; she was the first federal MP to take the civility pledge.
“your first concerns when you awoke were for your staff and gratitude to the first responders, nurses and bystanders.” — Daily Mirror
“Two months ago, Ms Haines became the first Australian lawmaker to make such a pledge” — The Independent
Left4 articles
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Helen Haines' first words after losing both legs following attack on Australian MP
Sympathetic Human-interest account centred on Haines' first words and character after the amputations, with court details.
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Neutral Agency-style report of the parliamentary tributes, balancing Albanese, the AFP commissioner and the opposition leader on political rhetoric.
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Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 25 Oct 18:30 First ABC News (Australia)LC Security increased as parliament returns without MP Helen Haines
- 26 Oct 04:35 +10h 5m Daily MirrorL Helen Haines' first words after losing both legs following attack on Australian MP
- 26 Oct 04:36 +10h 6m The IndependentLC Australian parliament pays tribute to Helen Haines as PM Albanese condemns increasing ‘rage and aggression’
- 26 Oct 07:47 +13h 17m ABC News (Australia)LC MPs urged 'let light win' as cockatoo sits in for Helen Haines
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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