I rise today to support our colleague the member for Indi, Helen Haines. Like Australians right across our country, our communities and I were shocked and deeply saddened by the vicious and violent attack on Helen outside her electorate office in Wangaratta.

As I travelled around our electorate of Calare last week, it was the issue that was on the minds of our residents. People wanted to talk about it. Since that horrific time and that crime, our thoughts have been very much with Helen, Phil, their children and their whole family. We've also been thinking about Helen's staff. Those of us who work in electorate offices know how close-knit our teams become. You work alongside each other through the good days and the difficult ones. When something happens to one member of that team, it affects everyone. I want Helen's staff to know that we're thinking of them as well through all of this.

Earlier today, Helen's husband, Phil, addressed MPs and gave us an update on Helen's health. The message he gave on behalf of Helen was that Helen wants this to be a moment of change in how politics is conducted in this country. The increasing aggressiveness and nastiness in Australian politics is an issue that Australia must come to terms with, but politicians of all political persuasions have a role to play—and it's a big role. Politicians must lead on this. While there have been many fine words and sentiments expressed since the events of that awful day—words no doubt expressed sincerely and honestly—those words must now be backed up by action and deeds. We will be judged on our actions. As Phil Haines said today, politicians set the tone in the things they do, say and authorise—for example, what we say in this place and what we say or let others say for us online.

One thing political parties and candidates can do is lay down some strict guidelines about behaviour of party members and volunteers—for example, when they're working on polling booths. In all my years of political involvement, I've never seen such a level of nastiness, intimidation and aggression as I did on the Calare booths at the last federal election. By not setting standards and not pulling people into line when those standards are breached it sends a message to the wider community that it's acceptable. I've heard some very commendable words in this House today, but, as I have said, we, as politicians, will be judged by our actions on this.

There are other issues of national importance that arise from this horrific attack, and they cannot and should not be overlooked as MPs and our communities try to come to terms with what has happened. They require urgent attention. The first is the shocking rates of violence perpetrated against women, where one in three Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15. It's a shocking statistic. Another issue is the need to bolster health services and mental health services in country Australia. Helen has been a tireless advocate for equality between city and country on health services, and that mission remains just as relevant and important in the aftermath of this horrific attack than it ever was and ever has been.

Independents are all about changing politics. Just by being here, the crossbench is doing that in many different ways. We break the hold that the major parties have had over politics for far too long. Independents are not beholden to a political party. The only people we answer to are the people who sent us here. You have to fight for them, and that's what Helen does. She fights for her communities, her constituents and her country, Australia.

Helen is thoughtful, kind, determined and deeply committed to the communities she represents. It's our fervent hope that she will at some point return to this House to continue her mission in fighting for country communities. Violence in all its forms must be condemned and repudiated. Let's hope that, as Helen has wished, this horrific attack is a turning point for the better in the way in which political debate and discussion occurs in this country. I, along with my staff and the communities of Calare, send Helen, her family, her staff and her communities our thoughts, love and support in this deeply traumatic time.