An orange cardboard cockatoo was perched where Helen Haines would usually sit in the House of Representatives on Monday.
asserted
Haines → perch → Monday
Her colleagues placed it there in a nod to the woman they called the matriarch of the crossbench.
asserted
they → place → crossbench
Cockatoos had been the symbol of Haines’ grassroots political campaign; she once explained that her regional Victorian electorate regarded them as a symbol of “community flocking together to build a vibrant democracy”.
asserted
community → explain → democracy
Now the Australian parliament was being forced to reflect on what that meant.
asserted
that → force → what
Last week’s rare act of violence against one parliamentarian has prompted the rest of them to interrogate what’s holding Australia’s democracy together, what’s threatening it and what role we all play in that dynamic.
asserted
we → prompt → dynamic
Seven days after Haines was deliberately struck by a car outside her office, MPs stood to share their reflections.
asserted
MPs → strike → reflections
Not everyone had the answer – their diagnoses for rising violence spanned online polarisation, male aggression, media hostility, political language, poor mental health services – but there was one point on which all MPs agreed.
asserted
MPs → have → which
If anyone modelled the type of person to maintain a respectful but robust public square, it was Haines.
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it → model → square
When Haines woke after the surgery, having lost both her legs, her first words were concern for her staff and gratitude to first responders, her husband Phil told MPs on Monday.
asserted
husband → wake → Monday
“That exactly speaks to the character of who you are,” independent Allegra Spender said in her tribute.
asserted
Spender → speak → tribute
“In this place where we often disagree, Helen has always shown that respect and courtesy go hand in hand,” said Speaker of the House Milton Dick.
asserted
Dick → disagree → House
“There is much discussion on how we as a parliament can work on showing respect to one another.
asserted
we → be → one
Today I can say this is a moment for all of us to rise to the challenge.”
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all → say → challenge
Central to that debate is how much of a role words play inciting violence – and the words uttered by politicians in particular.
asserted
play → play → politicians
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spent months talking about “turning down the temperature”.
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Albanese → spend → temperature
On Monday he said there was no way to shrug off “the very real rise in anger that distorts and corrodes our public discourse”.
asserted
that → say → discourse
“Enabled by the anonymity and speed afforded by social media, we are seeing rage and aggression increasing,” he said.
asserted
he → enable → media
“We must not conflate the robustness of Australian democracy with this rising tide of rage …
asserted
We → conflate → rage
We cannot allow disagreement to become a full stop.”
asserted
disagreement → allow → ?
“It’s been suggested by some that there is a causal connection between robust parliamentary debate and political violence.
uncertain
It → suggest → debate
I disagree with this view.
asserted
I → disagree → view
Our democratic system has served us well,” he said.
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he → serve → us
“Importantly, we debate with adversarial vigour.
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we → debate → vigour
But we never allow that vigorous parliamentary debate to spill over into violence.”
asserted
debate → allow → violence
The antidote, he believed, was to strengthen the system by celebrating Australia more readily.
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he → believe → Australia
Monique Ryan, a close friend of Haines, emphasised other points.
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Ryan → emphasise → points
Male violence was a problem, while global instability and economic insecurity tore at the social fabric.
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instability → tear → fabric
“All of us in this place bear some responsibility for the corrosion in public discourse.
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All → bear → discourse
But the media also bears responsibility for turning anxiety into outrage and for amplifying grievance for more clicks,” she said.
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she → bear → clicks
Some MPs turned the blowtorch on themselves.
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MPs → turn → themselves
Defence Minister Richard Marles named a classic political reflex: when losing an argument, play the person.
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Marles → name → person
“If analysis and reason doesn’t quite get us there, if we deny the humanity of our opponent, we can still win.
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we → get → opponent
I’ve done it,” he said.
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he → do → it
“But I have never seen it from Helen Haines.
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I → see → Haines
It’s as if she understands that to deny the humanity of an opponent is to cede the humanity of oneself.”
asserted
deny → ’ → oneself
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie conceded there were times he, too, had overreached.
asserted
he → concede → ?
“In moments like this one we can reflect on how we can do better,” he said.
asserted
he → reflect → one
“Let’s play the ball, not the person, and leave the nasty personal politics of MAGA in the United States.”
asserted
’s → let → States
The heroes of last week who rushed to Haines’ aid were also praised: Ricky Jefferies, Xavier Norden, Jacob Evans, Jacklyn Black, Cody Lepoidevin.
asserted
who → rush → aid
“Ricky knew the first responders helping Helen because he cut their hair, not because of social media networks, and there’s something in that,” Hastie said.
asserted
Hastie → know → that
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
