I associate myself with the kind comments already spoken in relation to the member for Indi. Speaker, as you are aware, just over 1,200 people have served in this chamber since Federation, and the 18th member for Indi could hold her own with them all. If their contributions to this place were measured on decency, on respect, on empathy and on a capacity for kindness, as you've already heard, she would be at the very top of the list. When she made her inaugural speech after the 2019 election, Helen Haines spoke of her aim to serve the people of Indi with integrity, with kindness and with diligence. She has done that, and she will do it again. It is my hope—and I'm sure it's the shared hope of this House—that Helen will recover sufficiently in the weeks and the months ahead to continue to serve her community in whatever capacity she chooses in the future.

In that first speech, the member for Indi said, 'Life is short, family is everything and there is honour in the service of others.' But these weren't just empty words. They were the wisdom of lived experience from a lady who had already served her community with great distinction. Helen was made a matron at Chiltern Bush Nursing Hospital at just 26 years of age, and has provided a lifetime of service to health in regional Victoria. Alongside her husband, Phil, and their family, she has been a champion for regional Australia on an incredible range of issues. Because of our shared electoral boundaries, we often found ourselves talking on quite similar topics or exchanging notes, particularly in the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires. Helen, I give you this undertaking today: although I have had my eyes on Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain for quite some time, I will not be approaching the Australian Electoral Commission for a boundary restructure or a land grab in your absence. On behalf of the Nationals, I do extend my thoughts and prayers to Helen's family, her friends, her staff and her volunteers.

Quite rightly, the events of the past week have shocked and appalled everyone in this place. I can see it on the faces of my colleagues, I can see it in my own community when I talk to people about the terrible attack. But we can't let this define Helen or her community. In that moment of crisis, Helen was assisted by bystanders and emergency services personnel who came to her rescue and protected her from any further harm. Wangaratta is a magnificent town, and it should be remembered for the long list of positive reasons which I am very confident Helen will remind us of when she returns. Our democracy is precious, and it is strengthened by the access we have to communities like Wangaratta, and the feedback we can receive from the people who are interested in the future of Australia.

Naturally, speaker, there has been increased media focus on security and poor behaviour towards elected officials, but I remain optimistic, as I'm sure Helen does, that we are talking about a minority of people. In my time as a member for Gippsland, my face-to-face dealings with thousands of locals and people throughout Australia have been overwhelmingly positive and constructive. I do accept the world has changed, and the online environment can be a cesspit of hatred, of sexism and bigotry. But we mustn't allow assaults on democracy by a minority of people to stop us from doing our job properly

There is a simple lesson from this tragedy: violence is never the answer. I'm not just talking about elected officials like us. Every day we hear about assaults on paramedics, nurses and doctors in emergency departments, shop assistants and schoolteachers. Whether they are a member of parliament or a police officer, Australians should be able to go to work and return home safely without the fear of violent attacks. Violence is never the answer, and we must choose our words carefully to ensure we don't incite violence in the future.

Finally, I want to give my last words today to the former member for Indi, Cathy McGowan, who I spoke to yesterday. Cathy is struggling with the severity of Helen's injuries and conscious of the impact it's had on her family and the community that she loves. Cathy told a vigil this week:

My ask, in closing, is that we don't let violence win, that we ensure the legacy of this attack on Helen will be a stronger, more vibrant and effective democracy and … all candidates and especially women know they can run for office and be safe.

I commend the motion by the Prime Minister.