Albanese rejects ‘dirt file’ on Helen Haines distributed by his office was personal criticism of the Indi MP

Anthony Albanese says a so-called “dirt file” distributed by his office on Helen Haines just weeks before the independent MP was horrifically injured was not a personal criticism.

The Federal MP for Indi was struck on Monday afternoon outside her Wangaratta electoral office by a vehicle allegedly driven by Brendan Nugent, 43, in what police claim was a targeted attack.

The document had been circulated to journalists after Dr Haines questioned a $6 million grant given to the Marrickville Golf Club, which is in the Prime Minister’s electorate and where he was an honorary member.

Mr Albanese on Thursday morning rejected the characterisation that the document constituted a personal attack, saying instead that it was focused on policy.

“It’s a list of funding asks from Helen Haines . . . just showing that people of integrity stand up for their electorate. It’s no personal criticism of Helen,” the PM told ABC radio on Thursday.

“Helen is a strategist. She’s a strong advocate for her electorate. She’s advocated for funding for projects in her electorate.”

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Michaelia Cash has accused Anthony Albanese as being the “most divisive Prime Minister”.

“You can’t lecture Australians about ‘turning the temperature down’ when your office is running dirt sheets against those who criticised your dodgy Marrickville Golf Club grant,” Senator Cash said.

Dr Haines’ husband Phil confirmed on Wednesday that his wife has lost both legs after undergoing surgery in Melbourne’s The Alfred Hospital, where she remains in a stable condition.

He had addressed the nation alongside Australia’s Governor-General where Sam Mostyn said the attack “must be a moment for us to pause and choose to be better”.

Brightly coloured bouquets and adoring messages have piled up outside Dr Haines’ Wangaratta electorate office and a fundraiser for Save the Children Australia in her name has reached almost $420,000.

Several members of Dr Haines team were inside her office when she was struck by a car while getting items out of her boot on Monday afternoon.

Chief of staff Kaz Rourke posted a statement to Dr Haines’ social media on Thursday, saying their hearts were with the Indi MP, her husband Phil, their children and family.

“Our team is devastated by the attack on Helen Haines this week,” she said.

“Most of us were in the office when the incident occurred and some of us were involved in Helen’s immediate care, so this has been deeply traumatic for the team.”

Mr Albanese praised the “extraordinary bravery” of Mr Haines to speak publicly and said in circumstances, he had shown strength and resilience.

As politicians come to terms with the alleged violent attack that shocked Australia, Mr Albanese was asked whether more needs to be done to step up security of elected representatives.

“We have tried a range of measures,” Mr Albanese said, when asked if more could be done.

MPs from across the political spectrum have raised serious concerns about safety since the attack and have spoken out about the constant death threats they face.

Social services Minister Tanya Plibersek said women in particular have been targeted with rape and death threats against them or their families.

WA Labor Minister Hannah Beazley on Wednesday was the alleged target of verbal threats to her staff after a man entered her Victoria Park electoral office just after 1pm on Wednesday allegedly carrying nunchucks.

Bentley man John Lawrence Smart, 56, has been refused bail after being charged with being armed in a way that may cause fear, making a threat to unlawfully do an act and possessing cannabis.

Mr Albanese labelled Ms Beazley, who is the daughter of former Federal Labor leader Kim Beazley, a “friend” and shared concern for the “far too prevalent” threats to politicians and their staff.

Ms Beazley on Thursday described it as a “confronting situation” for her two staff and thanked the police officers who attended.

Former WA opposition leader Mia Davies says she worries for women entering politics and hopes the abuse they face doesn’t deter them from public life.

Ms Davies, who more recently was a candidate in the Federal seat of Bullwinkel, said on reflection of her time in State parliament as a Nationals member she “tolerated too much”.

She said success in politics shouldn’t be based on how much someone was able to endure abuse.

“Reflecting back, I tolerated too much. In the early days I was reluctant to block people online or call out bad behaviour, worried it would be seen as avoiding criticism,” she said.

“I worry about what that means for the next generation of women and men considering public life.

“I’m not asking Australians to stop criticising politicians. Robust debate and holding elected representatives to account are fundamental to democracy.

“But we’ve allowed legitimate criticism to become confused with a sense of entitlement to intimidate, threaten and personally abuse.”

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher on Thursday said she didn’t believe the alleged attack on Dr Haines would deter women from pursuing careers in politics, describing her female colleagues as “defiant”.

The Labor frontbencher she would still encourage young women to get into public office.

“I can’t pretend that women across the parliament aren’t concerned about this. They are,” Gallagher told Nine’s Today show.

“But many of them, and all of that I’ve spoken to, are quite defiant about it too.

“We’ve found our place at the table in politics. We now need to make sure that it’s safe and that people are supported to do their job well.”

Greens leader David Shoebridge has sought to remind Australians that the allegedly targeted attack on independent MP Helen Haines was an act of gendered violence.

“I do want to also stress that this was an attack by a man against a woman, and I think we should recognise the nature of that violence across the society,” he said.

In the wake of the alleged attack politicians have also reflected on their language.

Videos, audio, post and written quotes from politicians harassing and criticising each other have begun to emerge.

It includes Mr Albanese yelling “smash her” to his colleague Catherine King when she was criticising a Coalition member in parliament and Housing Minister Clare O’Neil writing it was time to “smash some Liberals” on a now deleted Instagram post.

Since the attack, Curtin MP Kate Chaney said she felt “embarrassed” by the rhetoric thrown across the chamber in Question Time, while fellow Independent David Pocock has described it as a “disgrace”.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has however rejected a suggestion from one of his Coalition members that parliament Question Time should be scrapped or radically changed.

Nationals MP and Opposition Assistant Minister for Social Services Pat Conaghan called for change.

“I’d like to get rid of Question Time. Or, if we can’t, then get people sitting in different areas — not in blocks,” Mr Conaghan had said this week.

Mr Taylor, however, said it was important for the democratic principles of Australia’s political system.

“We need that vigorous and rigorous debate, which has characterised our democracy since it was formed,” he said.

When asked his thoughts on a “dirt file” Mr Albanese’s office distributed, Mr Taylor insisted “that’s a matter for the Prime Minister”.

Speaking on ABC Melbourne radio on Thursday, Ms O’Neil said that Australians seemed “obsessed with conflict”.

“I feel like we live in a culture obsessed with conflict, and that is what Australians see of politics,” she said.

“That is not the whole picture. Yes, there is question time where people are very direct with each other, yes there are moments where someone at the fringes say things that shouldn’t be said.

“But did you know 80 per cent of legislation goes through with the support of nearly everyone in Parliament?”

Ms O’Neil described the alleged attack on Dr Haines as a “watershed moment” for Australia and a time to have a “reckoning for how we treat each other”.

“What has happened to her is a watershed moment for our country, and I think a moment of reckoning for how we treat each other.

“I say that not just about how we treat each other as politicians and how we think about this as a political issue.”

Mr Albanese said there were “double digit” offenders before the courts at the moment in relation to threats against himself.

The PM flagged in particular the dangers experienced online and said his Government hoped to pass their Digital Duty of Care to make social media platforms safer.

“Next week, there is, I think, a very modest digital duty of care legislation before the parliament. We’ll wait and see whether it receives support,” the PM said.

The PM said he wanted big tech to play a more proactive role in taking down online threats.

“I think they need to have a responsibility to take anything down like that. That is my view,” he said.

“And we have tried to do a range of legislation . . . In the wake of Bondi, we had legislation about hate speech that we weren’t able to get through the Parliament.

“It didn’t receive the support of either the Coalition or the Greens political party.”

Mr Nugent had made a string of posts online in relation to the Gaza war and the environment issues. He had also responded to several politicians’ posts, including Dr Haines and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Mr Nugent appeared in Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court yesterday, staring vacantly from the dock as he was remanded behind bars without applying for bail.

Dr Haines’ north-east Victorian community has been devastated by the attack, with a sea of flowers growing outside her electoral office where she was struck loading items into the back of her car.

Hundreds of supporters also gathered for a vigil in Wodonga on Wednesday evening. A vigil had also been held in Wangaratta on Tuesday.