The Guardian, 21 October 2026
Politicians say more security would ‘let bad people win’ after alleged attack on Helen Haines: ‘We don’t want to be locked off’
From Josh Butler
Crossbench MPs have a saying among themselves: “What would Helen do?” It’s a phrase they have worn on T-shirts and shared online – and it’s a question they asked each other and key government figures on Tuesday, a day after the Indi MP, Helen Haines, was struck twice by a car outside her office, losing her leg in an allegedly targeted attack.
But even as a reckoning brews about balancing the accessibility of politicians with safety in public life – and whether increasing threats to government officials will discourage people from seeking office – distraught and angry MPs say they don’t want greater security or guards that distance them from their constituents.
The Australian federal police and Asio will give safety briefings to federal politicians on Wednesday, after half a dozen such briefings this year. Many MPs at the federal and state level had already changed their behaviour after recent threats, being more careful with social media, advertising public events, and the routes they use to commute.