I rise today not simply as a member of parliament but as a nurse, a midwife and someone who understands something of the privilege and the responsibility of caring for people at their most vulnerable. I rise to speak to my colleague No. 9, who I've had the privilege of spending some time with over these last 18 months as co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Nursing. Helen is No. 9—the ninth nurse ever in parliament—Ged is No. 8 and I'm No. 10. I proudly walk in Helen's footsteps, and she's been a great mentor and inspiration to me.

Helen, what has happened to you is devastating. The injuries that you have suffered and the enormity of what lies ahead for you and your family is difficult to comprehend. We are all in shock and sadness. Before you entered this parliament, you spent decades caring for people as a nurse, as a midwife and, later, as an academic. You cared for people at the beginning of their life, in moments of uncertainty, in times of illness and when families needed somebody to stand beside them. You know what it means to be the person wearing the uniform, making the decisions, providing reassurance and holding the hands of people who are frightened. You know that behind every diagnosis, every procedure and every hospital bed is a human being with a story, a family, hopes and fears, and a life beyond the hospital walls. And now, Helen, you find yourself on the other side of the bed, on the other side of that experience. As nurses, we know that when a person experiences such a major traumatic injury the medical team, of course, focus on survival, stabilisation and the immediate clinical challenges—and those things are essential. But we also know that the person is much more than their injuries. As your husband, Phil, eloquently and graciously informed Australia, you have your incredible intellect and your kind heart, and you are you. We love you, Helen, as this outpouring of emotion from the parliament obviously shows.

This is an emotional journey, with your family anxiously waiting beside your bed. And there are questions that cannot be answered yet, and the future that must be faced one day at a time. There is also the extraordinary work of the nurses and doctors, allied health professionals and other staff who have cared for you since the incident, including the first aiders, and who will also care for you in the days, weeks and years ahead. To those professionals, I want to say thank you. From one nurse to another, from one health provider to another, I know the difference that skill, compassion, patience and kindness can make when somebody's world has been turned upside down. And Helen, I trust and hope that you will receive the same care, humanity and dignity that you have shown to others throughout your career. You've advocated for patients and your community, and now it's your turn to receive that help.

I've often thought that nursing teaches us lessons that extend far beyond the bedside. It teaches us to listen before we judge, to recognise vulnerability without diminishing the person, and to understand that sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply be present. Those are lessons that matter in this parliament, too—which you have shown us through your time here so far. Helen, you've brought your nursing experience, your understanding of rural communities and your commitment to the people of Indi to this place. You have shown that our parliament is strengthened when people who have different backgrounds and perspectives work together in the service of the Australian community.

At times—and this is one of them—political differences do not matter, and party labels do not matter. What matters is Helen—a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, nurse and colleague, and a person whose life has been changed in circumstances no-one should have to endure. To Phil, your children, your grandchildren and everyone else who loves you, I want to extend my deepest sympathy for the distress and uncertainty you face. We cannot take away what has happened, but we can stand beside you, support you and give you the space and privacy you need. You deserve the time, care and support to face the future in your own way.