'A defiant optimist'—that's how Helen Haines introduced herself to Australia in her maiden speech. She spoke at length about her love of Indi, describing it as 'an electorate as diverse and beautiful as the 142,000 people that live there'. She stated her values plainly. Life is short. Family is everything. There is honour in the service of others, as the Deputy Leader of The Nationals said.

Helen is a mother to Will, Nick and Georgia, a grandmother of two, and a former nurse and midwife. She's the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission. She's one of the most respected and loved leaders in this parliament. Next month she will celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary with her beloved husband, Phil, who bravely addressed the nation last week as we waited for news of Helen's health. At that time, he spoke of words of gratitude and thanks and said 'at this stage both her heart and mind are in good shape'. Phil told that to a sea of reporters before confirming that Helen had lost both of her legs. Today Phil spoke to us about compassion and kindness and Helen's superpowers. Our thoughts are with Phil; with Helen's family; with her many, many friends; with her staff; with her supporters; and, of course, with those who rushed to her aid.

Helen's entire life has been a life of service to others. She's been a selfless public servant who embodies the values she champions: integrity, kindness and honesty. When Helen speaks, people listen, because she has earned the respect of politicians from right across the political spectrum. While we've always found alignment on many issues, when we do disagree it's done with humour, with grace, with good nature and with a genuine effort to find a way forward.

It is unfathomable that anyone would want to hurt Helen, and it does keep me up at night thinking that we might be entering a political era in which representatives feel afraid to be fully and properly available to the communities that they serve. Violence is the antithesis of democracy. It's an ugly, dangerous dead end. I know that many people across Australia are asking what they can do to help. The first thing they can do, of course, is donate to Save the Children, as Helen has asked—but they can also be good to each other. Be patient. Be kinder. Smile at a stranger. Let someone go ahead of you in a queue. Listen carefully. Try and see something from someone else's point of view.

I remember being really little, and one of my earliest memories is walking through Jannali shops with my mum. I said to mum, 'Why is everybody smiling at us, Mum?' She said, 'Because I'm smiling at them, and what you put out into the world you get back.' As a parliament, I think we have to ask ourselves what we're putting out into the world. All of us as politicians have an opportunity to do better. But of course it's not just each other that we have to be worried about in terms of how people are being treated—teachers, principals, nurses, paramedics, shop assistants, flight attendants, bus drivers and even the young referee at your kids' sport on the weekend; if you can't contain yourself on the sidelines of your kids' sport on the weekend, ask yourself, 'How can I do better?'

Lastly, of course all of us could be more sceptical and more careful users of social media. We know that big tech derives its profit from driving rage and division in our community. There'll always be people who seek to spread fear and hate, and we as a country are one of enormous heart and good conscience. We have to resist that rage and division. I'm very pleased to join Helen in saying that in my political life I pledged to act with honesty, respect and compassion. I will endeavour to do better to live up to that, because what happened to Helen deserves to have all of us thinking about what we can do to protect our democracy, to look after each other, to be kinder and more compassionate.