Caution needed on linking Helen Haines attack to PM’s grievances

October 21, 2026 — 4:56pm

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Journalist Laurie Oakes famously said of John Howard that he had made many mistakes but only made them once.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would be wise to recall that lesson as he navigates the fallout from the attack on Helen Haines.

After the December 2025 Bondi Beach shootings, conservative critics argued Labor pivoted too quickly to gun control while downplaying the attackers’ fundamentalist ideology. The gun buyback, supported by no state outside of NSW, has faltered.

Wading through the confusing set of factors that may have led to the Haines incident, Albanese has put the spotlight on the modern media.

“The headlines that are generated are aimed at getting clicks and therefore more dramatic than is necessary,” Albanese said on Melbourne radio.

The prime minister isn’t wrong here. The press........

© Brisbane Times