Rape and death threats shouldn’t be dismissed as a normal part of my job

October 21, 2026 — 2:30pm

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Follow our live coverage of the alleged attack on Indi MP Helen Haines here. 

I’ve worked as a GP in a community health centre in Helen Haines’ rural Victorian electorate of Indi. I’ve also served the same regional community as deputy mayor of Albury, just across the Murray River.

It’s an accurate cliche that rural and regional communities are connected. We all either know Helen personally, or her family, her staff, the courageous bystanders who assisted her, or the health workers who cared for her.

Our regional community is reeling from the violent attack on Helen that will no doubt have lasting impacts after the news cycle has moved on. As I write this, we are still anxiously awaiting updates on Helen – we know that she has lost at least her leg and remains in a critical condition.

So many people across the country have been deeply shaken by........

© Brisbane Times