Today, the member for Indi is not in her place in this chamber. She's in Melbourne in hospital, where she's been in the fight of her life. So I stand here thinking of her, wishing for her recovery and sending my best thoughts, my solidarity and my love to her husband, Phil, who has been absolutely extraordinary, their children, their wider family, their incredible team and, indeed, all of those who love her. I think it's important that I do so myself and on behalf of all the people I'm representing in this place, knowing that the people of Indi right now are being denied the representation of their concerns and their values in the most cruel way, knowing that this place and our politics have been and will be so much the better for the contribution of Helen Haines.

But there's something else about what happened last week in Wangaratta that we as representatives and as members of the Australian community must address. We need to do better and we need to be better. This is about our politics, but it's not just about our politics. ASIO Director-General Burgess said last week:

Elevated levels of grievance, intolerance and polarisation continue to create a permissive environment of violence.

He's made this point before. Surely now we must heed it? This permissive environment of violence is affecting the lives of workers in hospitality and in retail, workers in many public service roles in health care and education and our first responders, as well as, too, our staff, the frontline workers of politics. How we manage our disagreements really matters. That occupational violence is seemingly becoming a regular means by which people seek to resolve conflict is utterly unacceptable. I have said that this isn't solely an aspect of our politics, and it is important that we all recognise that this doesn't solely affect politicians, but addressing this is a matter for political leadership. I'm proud of that which has been shown by our prime minister, as well as many others across the parliament.

I note that AFP Commissioner Barrett said yesterday:

Words matter, and we do see the flow-on impact from that.

We can't look away now from the flow-on impacts—the consequences of a degraded democratic environment are simply horrific for individuals and for the strength and the health of our society—because politics isn't and cannot be a spectator sport. Public life belongs to all of us. It must. As we look to understand what happened to Helen Haines and what has been happening all around us, we have to remember this. We need everyone to feel that their voice can be heard safely. We can't let fear deny Australians the involvement that they seek in their communities, in shaping their future, in having their say.

There's a note pinned up in my office here with some kind words written to me and to my team too, on what was a very tough day for us, sent together with a very beautifully made and iced cake, of course. It was sent at a time when the member for Indi wasn't exactly in support of all of the things that I was seeking her to support in my role. That note and that care sum up the Helen Haines that I'm so proud to know and even prouder to have had the privilege of working alongside. So many of the tributes that have been paid so powerfully and eloquently to the member for Indi reflect on this proposition that I think builds on that: what would Helen do? For all of us lucky enough to know her, it's a pretty good question to ask. My commitment to that note, thinking of her as I go about my work, is a little bit different. I hope that she wouldn't mind that. As a proud Labor member and a proud Melburnian too, I should of course do things differently from Helen from time to time at least. But, as I go about that work, I will always consider, 'How would Helen do this?' and try to emulate the way in which she did better by being better. Come back very soon, Helen.