Life is just a series of negotiations—not my words. They are words spoken to me by someone who once negotiated his life choices through a prism of hate. So much has been said of the member for Indi, Helen Haines, today and over the past week, and every single bit is true. People have spoken about her nature, her fierce love for her community, her tireless advocacy, her integrity, her kindness and her compassion. Helen chooses kindness and love. She understands that kindness is a choice and so is hate. Like Helen, I believe that humans have an infinite capacity to choose kindness and compassion, as Helen demonstrates. They also have a capacity to choose hate and violence, as we have seen. While love and kindness are unlimited in their capacity to inspire hope, to improve lives and to lift communities, hate and malice do not.

In 2023, speaking about social cohesion and the tone of political debate, Helen reminded this House. She said:

What we say in this place matters. Words matter.

As I reflected on those words and as I was grappling with what I wanted to say today, I reminded myself of my own words, some 10 years ago, in my first speech, where I said:

We may live in an era of unease and of extremes. I do not know how we found ourselves in a time when asking for a little more compassion, a little more reason, a little more empathy … attracts accusations and hate mail …

It's difficult to fathom that, 10 years later, those words still ring true, as do Helen's. Words matter. She's right. The way we speak to one another matters. The example that we set matters, and the words we use in this chamber do not just stay within these walls. They travel into our communities, into conversations and into the way that Australians treat one another as well. We can't ask Australians to show respect to each other if we're not prepared to demonstrate that ourselves. Disagreement is part of democracy. Disrespect is not. This morning, Helen's husband Phil charged us to be more cognisant of this very fact. Challenging ideas and policy is central to our Australian democracy, but doing so with decency, care and compassion must be the choice that we make when we communicate and when we engage with each other.

Phil described this past week as a moment, and indeed it is a moment. It's a moment to give us all pause for thought about how we participate in political debate. Here's the thing about moments. They often end up written into the margins of the history pages. They are temporal and momentary. I believe in momentum, because nothing will change unless we change, unless all of us—people in this place, the media, the public—recognise that words matter, that expressing disagreement through personal attacks and language that in itself is violent or that incites violence has consequences, that harvesting anger for political points or clickbait has consequences and that we have a choice to choose kindness, to choose civility or simply to choose not to use language, post comments on social media or attack our political opponents in ways that have the potential to cause real harm—to choose to be like Helen.

In a place where our differences can so often define us, Helen reminds us of what we have in common—our humanity, our compassion, our responsibility to one another and our ability to choose. She's shown us that kindness and conviction can go hand in hand, that we can be passionate in our beliefs and generous towards those who see the world differently.

Today, Helen, you've given so much of yourself to your community and this parliament, and today that same care and that compassion are being returned to you. Our thoughts and love are with you and Phil and your entire family and staff. As you face the journey ahead, Helen, know that your colleagues, your community and so many Australians are right there beside you.