The alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines in Wangaratta has shocked a nation whose politics is normally peaceful even by the standards of mature democracies. A hard-working, decent parliamentarian with a strong moral compass and a gift for achieving consensus, Haines seems an especially unlikely figure to attract the kind of brutality allegedly visited on her on Monday.
We do not yet know the motivation behind this alleged attack. But there is no question Australia’s politics have been fractious over the past 12 months. Violence, literal and rhetorical, has been a growing feature of the landscape, shaping the relations between
Our editorial team includes several staff writers, each contributing their specialized knowledge to enhance the depth and breadth of our event and story coverage.