Helen Haines' First Thoughts After Attack Were for Others

Federal MP Helen Haines' initial thoughts after an alleged attack that left her with severe injuries were focused on the well-being of those who assisted her.

Haines, the independent MP for Indi in north-east Victoria, is in a serious but stable condition at Melbourne's The Alfred Hospital after losing both her legs in the incident outside her office in Wangaratta. Her husband of 40 years, Phil, was present in Parliament during tributes.

Fellow crossbencher Allegra Spender shared that upon waking, Haines' primary concerns were for her staff and gratitude towards the first responders, nurses, and bystanders who came to her aid. "Phil told us about your first words since when you woke up after the attack, and said that your first concerns when you woke were for your staff and gratitude to your first the first responders, nurses, and bystanders," Spender said, adding that it "speaks to the character of who you are."

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins echoed these sentiments, stating it was "not a surprise to any of us who know her." She added, "After everything that she has been through, she was thinking of others."

Parliamentarians from all sides united in paying tribute to Haines on Monday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the shock of the event as "like a stone in our hearts," noting Haines' "irrepressible twinkle in the eye" that hinted at "real inner strength."

An orange cut-out of a cockatoo was placed on Haines' seat in Parliament by her friend and fellow independent MP Zali Stegall. Both Stegall and Spender were visibly emotional during the tributes.