On behalf of the constituents of Brand, I rise to join colleagues across the parliament in supporting the Prime Minister's motion in support of the member for Indi and condemning the attack upon her not even a week ago. I offer my support and solidarity, and that of my team, to all of those who work for Dr Haines in her electorate office. All of us know, and many in our communities know, that the people who work with MPs in our electorate offices are committed to those communities and serve them just as hard as the elected representatives do. The staff in the Indi electorate office have seen something that no-one should, and my heart goes out to them.

My heart also goes out to Phil Haines and all of Dr Haines's family. I simply cannot imagine what you are going through. I would also like to pass on the thoughts and love of my husband, Jamie King. Jamie and Phil know one another through the parliamentary partners and families group, a group that is of great importance to many partners of those elected to this parliament. It's a support group that can share in the frustrations of being attached to the elected and the sometimes frankly ridiculous lives we lead and that we burden all of our families with.

The Parliament of Australia exists as a place to help resolve our differences peacefully and with respect. We may disagree strongly. We may vigorously contest ideas. But, today, the entire parliament is united in expressing our distress and disgust at this senseless and grievous attack on the member for Indi. Her advocacy has always been, and will remain, grounded in a genuine commitment to her community and a determination to ensure that regional Australians have a strong voice in our national conversation. I wish Helen well in what will be a very challenging road to recovery, but I am confident that her enduring optimism and strength will carry the member for Indi back to this chamber.

At this moment, I think it is beholden on all of us, Australians of pure intent and defenders of our great democracy, to shift the tone of the debate. We must think carefully about our modern discourse and the incentives that drive the algorithms of the social media feeds and ask ourselves: to what end? We must never lose sight of the fact that behind every political disagreement is another human being—a fellow Australian, a person with family, hopes, fears and convictions of their own. This responsibility belongs to everyone who shapes our public discourse and debate, whether from a newsroom, a parliamentary chamber, a television studio or behind a screen. This is especially the case for those who help set the agenda for the rest of us. Politicians can, should, will and do show leadership. But leadership cannot rest with elected representatives alone.

At this time, I am reminded of incendiary commentary we've seen in the past. It has often seeped into our public debate with few consequences for those responsible. There have been remarks suggesting shoving a sock down the throat of a former New Zealand prime minister and suggestions that the father of one of our own prime ministers died of shame. Words matter, but images matter as well. A mere three days ago, after the attack on the member for Indi, a cartoon appeared prominently in one of the very few newspapers in Western Australia. It depicted several of my friends—colleagues, elected members who are also ministers, elected by the people of Australia—as dead animals lined up on a beach, ready to be dragged out into the Indian Ocean to be fed to the sharks. This was shocking and depressing imagery, but it was absolutely no surprise. It's like so many of the media tabloid front pages that are designed to be shared quite purposefully to feed the shares, likes and rage baiting. It's this social media that can become that anonymous swell of anger and hate.

But our national conversation is still shaped by journalists, editors and media owners. With their influence comes the responsibility that they must take on, and I hope that they resist the race to the bottom and resist chasing the outrage, division and hostility that the social media platforms have so successfully weaponised and monetised. The role of the media is not to amplify our worst instincts but to inform, challenge and elevate the national conversation.

All of us should be asking whether our contributions to the debate create more light than heat. Our democracy is strongest when we disagree with decency, argue with respect and remember the humanity in one another. The attack on the member for Indi is not who we are as a nation. We reject violence of any kind, and we condemn it unequivocally. As Dr Haines, the member for Indi, begins the long road to recovery, she will carry with her the thoughts and best wishes of all of us in this parliament and of the entire Australian community. I wish you well, Helen.