Australia urged to take 'political temperature' after Haines attack

The sister of murdered UK MP Jo Cox has called on Australia to see the attack that left Independent MP Helen Haines in a critical condition as a turning point.

Cox was murdered aged 41 in 2016, when she was shot and stabbed multiple times by a far-right extremist. Since then former UK MP Ann Widdcombe was killed this year and sitting UK MP David Amess was killed in 2021.

Ms Haines was attacked outside her office in Wangaratta on Monday, when a car allegedly driven by 43-year-old Brendan Nugent struck her. Mr Nugent has now been charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury and intentionally causing serious injury. He was also charged with the federal offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official — which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.

In a statement, Victoria Police said officers would allege the incident was targeted.

Kim Leadbeater, who is now the MP of the constituency formerly held by her late sister, called on Australia to unite against these kind of attacks.

"Maybe for Australia this is your moment to think about what your politics looks like and how we can bring people together [and] find common ground," Ms Leadbeater told 7.30.

"That was something my sister was brilliant at and I would imagine it's something Helen [Haines] is good at."

Ms Leadbeater expressed her devastation for Helen and for her family, her friends, her colleagues, her staff, saying she can understand a little bit of what they're going through.

"I am devastated for Helen and for her family, her friends, her colleagues, her staff, that I am probably one of the few people, I suppose, that can understand a little bit of what they're going through."

She echoed calls from politicians including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a calmer discourse.

"The really depressing thing for me is I've been giving a very similar interview for the last 10 years about how we need to look at our political culture in this country, and it would seem in other countries as well," Ms Leadbeater said.

"I find it really frustrating that we're having the same conversation and every time something so horrific happens."

Ms Leadbeater said while robust political debate is important, she believes more civilised comment is needed.

"Things don't happen in a vacuum and horrendous attacks and incidents like this don't happen in isolation," she said.

"They are part of a wider culture around politics and society [and] we all have a role to play in that."

Asked why her sister's death did not change the UK, Ms Leadbeater said it was because once the shock wears off people go back to their daily lives.

"Something horrific happens and the focus is all on that horrific incident," Ms Leadbeater said.

"As a family, obviously, that day will be forever etched in our minds as something that we think about every single day, but most people then go back to their lives and remember something really bad happening, but they don't feel the pain every day in the same way that those who are directly affected."

Her calls for calm were echoed by both Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek and Coalition MP Andrew Hastie.

Ms Plibersek shared a shocking story about the comments she faces regularly, including one made this afternoon on a social media post she shared to show support for Senator Jacqui Lambie, after she became a target of a One Nation cartoon.

"There's always been threats," Ms Plibersek told 7.30.

"Years ago, I had someone slip a note under my front door at home, no stamp on it or anything, they had obviously turned up in person saying they hope my children die of painful cancers."

"I couldn't even count the number of death threats, rape threats that I've had over the years, including ones that have ended up in court. "

"The thing that's changed most is the industrial scale of that abuse now."

"Yesterday I posted something about Jacqui Lambie saying that I thought that the cartoon mocking her vaginal prolapse was an extremely poor taste. "

"Twenty-four hours after I posted that, this afternoon, after this attack on Helen Haines, someone wrote under that post, defending Jacqui Lambie, 'she deserves to meet a LandCruiser'."

"I don't know what kind of person does that."

Mr Hastie said social media and the role it plays was also one of his key concerns.

"My concern is with the industrial scale of social media, potentially there are more people being reached with very emotive, negative messages, which could inspire action."

He said he had received an uptick in online abuse over the past six months and let his staff handle his social media as a result.

"We want people of talent coming into our parliament and that's why we've got to get this right. Otherwise our country is poorer because without the best people serving in our parliament, we won't get the best public policy outcomes for our nation."