I, like so many, have been profoundly affected by the horrific attack on Helen Haines (“Tragic turn for Haines’ family”, October 22).
asserted
I → affect → family
We hear that all politicians are the same.
asserted
politicians → hear → ?
They’re not.
asserted
They → ’re → ?
Helen Haines cares deeply for her constituents and exudes decency and a respect for all.
asserted
Haines → care → all
The media is asking who Helen Haines is, which informs a broken part of our political dialogue.
asserted
which → ask → dialogue
We should already know who she is – intelligent insightful, energetic, compassionate.
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she → know → ?
Unfortunately, this dignified approach gets lost to the noise and fury by shallow politicians who we already know too much about.
asserted
we → lose → much
If the media had focused more on MPs like Haines, maybe those ripples of kindness she has shown would have spread across this vast land, rather than hate and division, which offers nothing but further suffering.
asserted
which → focus → suffering
We have just witnessed the terrible result of people being constantly bombarded with confected outrage by many who should know much better.
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who → witness → many
My heart goes out to Helen Haines and her family and to all those she has helped along the way.
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she → go → way
Your front page photo summed up so much about the shocking, brutal attack on independent MP Helen Haines, and its aftermath.
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photo → sum → Haines
The stoic, articulate and loving husband, Phil Haines, comforting us with his words, “The two most important parts of Helen for us as a family are her heart and mind.
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parts → love → family
She provided the absolutely right official independent support, representing the country for the victim and family.
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She → provide → victim
As a nation, irrespective of politics, we are lucky to have both women in their very different jobs.
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we → have → jobs
As is often said, we thank them for their service.
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we → say → service
Jennifer Fergus, Croydon
What would Helen say?
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Helen → say → What
I want that T-shirt.
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I → want → shirt
When Tony Abbott was PM, I spotted his wife, Margie, shopping in the same fruit shop as me.
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wife → spot → me
I thought, how good is Australia that she can go about her day normally (“Keeping MPs safe harder than ever”, October 22).
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she → think → MPs
Unless we all reject the megaphones of divisiveness.
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we → reject → divisiveness
Don Easter, Redfern
We Australians who are obviously concerned about the safety of the 226 federal and621 state and territory politicians in our midst, are living in la-la land if we think that 24-hour security can be provided for them (“Simply listening to voters is putting politicians at risk”, October 22).
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listening → concern → risk
While there is no publicly available figure for the total cost of 24-hour security for all the federal MPs, in 2024-25 alone, the Australian Federal Police spent $523 million on protection for politicians and government buildings.
asserted
Police → be → politicians
The many and varied comments on the increase in violent language and actions in our lives following the recent attack on Helen Haines are not surprising.
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comments → follow → Haines
Calling a spade a shovel is a well-worn cliché applicable to most politicians for generations, and we pretty much expect it.
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we → call → it
Every politician knows that to get noticed in the press you only have to make an inflammatory comment about someone and you are immediately front-page news, and we the public encourage this behaviour by feeding on the consequences.
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we → know → consequences
But when the remark implies violence on a person, it goes way too far.
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it → imply → person
Right now, politicians who should know better are running for cover or backtracking on their previously intemperate language.
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who → know → language
Claiming the comment was in jest or was not meant to be taken literally is no excuse, and it sets a dangerous precedent.
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it → claim → precedent
Tolerance of ugly language is normalising violence in our community, and we are seeing the consequences.
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we → normalise → consequences
Bruce Spence, Balmain
Ken Pares (Letters, October 22) posits that the violence against politicians started with “Ditch the witch” in 2011 (no thanks to Tony Abbott, who made no attempt to challenge that behaviour) – but it was certainly assisted by Alan Jones’ comment the same year that then-prime minister Julia Gillard should be stuffed in a chaff bag and thrown out to sea.
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Gillard → posit → sea
Worse, still, Jones thought “it was a joke”!
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it → think → ?
David Gordon, Cranebrook
Everyone should send a letter of gratitude to a member of parliament.
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Everyone → send → parliament
Justin Fleming, North Sydney
Put big tech on leash
Combating all this hate and misinformation on social media is simple.
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Combating → put → media
Make the big tech companies behave like all our other companies, institutions and banks.
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companies → make → companies
To join or participate, you have to supply several ID checks – driver’s licence, Medicare card etc.
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you → join → checks
And to participate in most standard groups, you need a National Police Check (NPC: $55.80 via Service NSW online).
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you → participate → NSW
The big tech companies must stop anonymous profiles of users.
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companies → stop → users
Big tech must verify all profiles of users with a verified photo and name and address.
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tech → verify → photo
Social media should never allow anonymous profiles.
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media → allow → profiles
You don’t get published in the Herald without having your name and address verified.
asserted
name → publish → Herald
…and 61 more, not listed.
The Aporia
