Independent MP Dr Helen Haines has lost both legs after the attack outside her Wangaratta electorate office, but is alive and stable, her husband has revealed.
Phil Haines, her husband of 40 years, spoke to media at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Wednesday, where Dr Haines is in a critical but stable condition. Her left leg was amputated on Monday. Surgeons had been working to save her right leg but were forced to amputate it on Wednesday.
“So, what took place on Monday was an horrendous incident, and it’s, as you know, caused Helen significant injuries,” Mr Haines said.
“But the good news in all this is Helen is alive and she’s stable.”
“That is the most important thing for our family, and I think when we reflect and talk about and think about Helen, the two most important parts of Helen for us as a family are her heart and her mind.”
“Her heart is huge,” he said.
“She has the sharpest intellect.”
“She has always had the most intense desire to learn, to read, to synthesize, and to understand what’s going on.”
“We are grateful and thankful that at this stage, both her heart and her mind are in good shape.”
The couple have two grandchildren, born in the past four months and the past four weeks.
“They give us all great joy and happiness to have them here with us,” Mr Haines said.
He thanked Dr Haines’ staff, the first responders, the paramedics, and the staff at North East Health in Wangaratta, who worked to stabilise her before she was flown to Melbourne.
“Here in the Alfred Hospital, she has received the most incredible treatment and care from her medical and surgical staff, from the nursing staff across ICU, and from everybody she’s come across in the last two days,” he said.
“I cannot speak highly enough of what has been contributed by this hospital.”
Mr Haines said the family had received thousands upon thousands of messages of love and support from across Australia and overseas.
“I can only say how much a difference that makes to all of us, so I thank all those people for what they are doing, and I ask them to keep doing it,” he said.
“Helen’s road to recovery will be long and difficult, but we know she is a fighter,” he said.
“She is a determined person who will do her best with our support and love to recover, and that is what we hope for.”
Dr Haines loves flowers and planted hundreds of dahlia bulbs in the family garden last week, Mr Haines said. But rather than flowers, he asked people who want to help to donate to Save the Children.
“Only just last week in Canberra, her last official appointment was to speak at a legacy lecture in the evening for Save the Children,” he said.
“She is a passionate supporter of them.”
“One thing I’ve learnt last two days, reinforced by many people, is to take things day by day,” Mr Haines said.
“And that’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche for very good reason.”
Mr Haines invited Governor-General Sam Mostyn, a friend of Dr Haines, to speak at the Alfred at short notice.
“Australia is still reeling with the shock and distress of this terrible attack on our much loved member for Indi, Helen Haines,” said Governor-General Sam Mostyn.
“I know that here in Victoria, in particular, people are simply dumbfounded and finding it very hard to fathom the scale of this tragedy.”
Ms Mostyn said she had ensured that His Majesty the King was being regularly updated.
She paid tribute to bystander Ricky Jefferies and the others who rushed to Dr Haines’ side in the critical moments of the attack.
“I’ve been lucky enough to speak to Ricky, and his humility and his absolute rejection of the title hero reflects the Australian character we so often talk about and see everywhere: decency, care, and a simple concern for others,” she said.
“Now, this violent attack on a much loved and respected sitting member of our federal parliament must be a moment for us to pause and to choose to be better,” Ms Mostyn said.
“In fact, it is bittersweet and quite difficult to talk about, but I was discussing this very topic with Helen just two weeks ago in Euroa, when we were both visiting a recovery hub, dealing with the bushfire recovery, and we talked about the need for greater civility and engagement across our civic and public life.”
“Our democracy, the great Australian democracy, has always relied on passionate and robust debate,” she said.
“We don’t have to all agree, but we can wrestle the issue, not the person, just as Helen has done throughout her time in Parliament, representing the issues of her community, and fighting for the very best.”
“And it’s important to remember, words matter, whether spoken, or in written form, or increasingly in the virtual world.”
“I can’t wait to see her great heart and her great mind back in action, exercising that great muscle of decency and teaching us how we can be better.”
Former Member for Indi Cathy McGowan says the local community is struggling to come to terms with the shocking event.
“People in Indi are really distressed about Helen,” she said.
“To do all the things that a member of parliament should be, and then to be attacked, is just not right.”