Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications - Member for Mallee - Transcript - News24 - Trudy McIntosh- Thursday 22 October 2026

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‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

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TOPICS: Attack on Member for Indi, online comments, seeing constituents in public, managing threats, tone of political debate, Question Time

McIntosh  

Now to Federal politics and security for MPs is in the spotlight in the wake of the shocking attack we saw on Victorian MP Helen Haines earlier this week. Joining me now is the Shadow Regional Health and Communications Minister Anne Webster, Anne good to see you today. You're also a regional Victorian MP. I'm sure you've had many interactions with Helen Haines. How shaken are you by the events that we saw?

Webster  

The attack on Helen was absolutely appalling in every way, shocking and horrible. Honestly, finding the words to describe the horrific events of this week has been really challenging. In fact, you know, I decided initially that I wouldn't put anything up on social media. I just, you know, I didn't even want to be in the space of making it political in any way. After a few days, when people have been asking, well, you know, what does she think? I have put up quite a lengthy statement, which has received. I think people are grateful that we are speaking out. That we're saying, you know - and I know that this would be Helen as well - we're sent to Parliament to do a job to represent our regions, and she and I are in, you know, both sides of the state. Came in at the same time, around the same age. Like, you know, I get it, and we both are really passionate about our region. So, to have this occur to her is deeply troubling. As a regional MP, and I don't know about everybody else, I can only speak for myself in truth, we want to go about meeting our people. We want to hear what they have to say. We want to engage in, you know, conversations and debates, sure, that might be robust from time to time, but that is our job to take those views to Canberra and to represent our regions. And in the case of portfolio work, obviously the same. So, yeah, it's deeply distressing, deeply distressing and the last thing I want to do is to make my service to my region all about risk mitigation and risk management. Like that, just you know, ties both hands behind your back in terms of being able to do our job well.

McIntosh  

And you, like Helen, have such a big electorate that covers so many different communities across Victoria. For you, I know there were security briefings provided yesterday to all MPs if they wanted to ask questions about security arrangements. Are you comfortable with where this is at, some of the advice I know some MPs have had concerns, being told, don't say where you are ahead of time or try and vary your movements day to day. How realistic is that? Some of that advice as an MP, your office can't move day to day; it's in the same location. That's a reality.

Webster  

Well, absolutely, I've got two electorate officers like Helen, and you know we advertise mobile offices out around the district because I've got 72 towns. What am I going to do? Just sit in my office? That's that's not how we do our job, and it does make it fraught. And yes, we have to think about it, but you know, you need to think about how - you know Helen was in front of her electorate office, just getting something out of her boot! I mean, for goodness' sake, this is an everyday occurrence for every Australian, getting things out of your boot. To have her targeted in this way was deeply shocking and I think we're going to take time to work out how do we manage this. I've requested security at certain places at certain times in - this is my eighth year - over that time, and of course, like most of us have received threats of various kinds that we manage with the police, with the AFP, and it's disappointing - I made this point yesterday to the AFP, is that we have said we believe that we need support at this particular venue, for example, and then and they say the local Victorian police will turn up, and they don't turn up. So, you know, that's ... you're just managing.  

McIntosh  

Yeah, that's very troubling. Anne, what was the answer, if you can tell us, from agencies yesterday when that was raised by you? Is there an assurance to MPs now that things will change in the wake of what we saw on Monday.

Webster  

Look, I think that those who are in the security space - all of them - they will work through the feedback from both the Coalition and the the government, and I don't know what they're going to plan on. I think the fact is that when we take on this role, the reality is, there will be risk. And my personal view is we need to gird our loins and be courageous and get on with our job, and we can't stop those who have intent for evil, whatever that might be. We have no power to stop that, and I don't think that it's helpful, as I said, to be constantly thinking about risk and risk management as a way to do our job as representative of our electorates, I just don't think that's helpful. I think it messes with your head, and we just need to get on and do our work.

McIntosh  

The Prime Minister this week has been leading the calls. I mean, the head of ASIO as well said this, that there needs to be a way to lower the temperature in debate. The question, I suppose is what does that look like in practice? One of your colleagues, Pat Conaghan, today saying that maybe Question Time doesn't work at the moment; that it actually itself raises the temperature. What's your view?

Webster  

Well, it raises my temperature. I certainly sit there feeling pretty wild about many of the ... well, particularly gaslighting. I mean, and the thing is, the gaslighting, which we were treated to under Daniel Andrews in Victoria for the whole COVID period, and ... that is deeply upsetting because people who are powerless listen to these people who have the power making decisions and talking to people like 'it's really not them, it's you.' That boils anybody's blood. That's gentle, though. It's not, you know I don't know ... you can't cool that temperature down. You've just got to stop doing it. How about telling people the truth? Because that's what people want to hear, and they want genuine engagement, not these - I don't know - TPs. Honestly!

McIntosh  

Anne Webster, I'm sure there's a lot of viewers who agree that question time at times can be pretty frustrating. Really appreciate your time today on the program in what's been a pretty tough week in Australian politics. Thanks, Anne.

Webster  

Thanks, Trudy.

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