Two independents call opposition speech on Haines attack tone deaf

Monique Ryan and Zali Steggall criticized opposition leader Angus Taylor for his response to the alleged attack on Indi MP Helen Haines. The two crossbench members described his remarks as "tone deaf" and stated that he failed to read the room.

Parliament resumed in Canberra on Monday, one week after the incident. Haines lost both legs in the attack outside her electorate office in northern Victoria. Police have charged a 43-year-old man with the offense. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not disclosed a specific motive.

The event has sparked a debate regarding the safety of politicians and the conduct of parliamentary debate. Former Liberal leader Peter Dutton told News24 that further violence against politicians was inevitable. He noted that the situation had been building for a long period of time.

Taylor rejected the notion that parliamentary behavior feeds political violence. He stated that he disagreed with the view linking robust debate to violence. He argued that the Westminster system exists to settle differences through rigorous debate rather than intimidation. Taylor also said judges should come down harder on those found guilty of violence. He suggested that Australia should be celebrated more readily, arguing that many people had been taught to feel guilt and shame about the nation's history.

Steggall, the independent member for Warringah, said she was personally disappointed in the speech. She emphasized that there is a link between words and actions. She said she did not feel Taylor had grasped the lesson Haines would want people to learn. She called for the same care to be applied to media reporting, election advertising, and social media.

Steggall spoke with Haines's husband, Phil Haines, in Canberra on Monday. Phil Haines asked MPs to raise the bar so that a meaningful shift toward respectful debate would have occurred by the time Helen Haines returns to parliament. Steggall relayed his message that words matter and have an impact.

Ryan, the independent member for Kooyong, called the response hugely disappointing. She told ABC TV that if Taylor does not think the words used matter, she does not understand how he aspires to lead a political party. She stated that if parliament could not rise to the occasion after the incident, it never would.