Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declined to say whether he knew about or authorised a briefing document circulated by his office that raised questions about independent MP Helen Haines.
Haines is in a critical condition after allegedly being pinned against her vehicle by a Toyota LandCruiser before being struck again outside her Wangaratta office in north-east Victoria on Monday afternoon. She has lost a leg.
After the alleged attack, Mr Albanese urged politicians and the public to ease the political rhetoric. He also praised Ms Haines and cautioned against making unwarranted claims about the motives of elected representatives.
However, the Daily Mail reported exclusively on Tuesday that the Prime Minister’s office had sent journalists a “dirt sheet” only weeks earlier. The document questioned Ms Haines’ integrity after she challenged a $6 million government grant awarded to Marrickville Golf Club in Sydney’s inner west.
The file contained no evidence of misconduct, but suggested possible avenues for journalists to investigate. (See our full copy of the dirt sheet here.)
Asked about the document during an interview with News24 on Wednesday, Mr Albanese avoided directly addressing the issue and instead described Ms Haines as a strong local representative.
“Were you aware or [did you give] approval to your office to distribute to the press gallery information about Helen Haines?” host Kieran Gilbert asked.
Mr Albanese replied: “Helen Haines is a good local member.
“She put forward applications like other members do for grants, and that’s what good local members do, and Helen Haines is a very strong advocate for her community.”
Anthony Albanese (pictured) did not answer questions about the “dirt sheet” his office circulated concerning independent MP Helen Haines
The document listed funding applications associated with Haines and suggested questions journalists could pursue
Mr Gilbert pressed the Prime Minister on the matter, asking: “So did the office send that out? Do you regret that in hindsight, given the events of recent days?”
Mr Albanese again stopped short of giving a direct response.
“Helen Haines is a strong advocate for her community, and she advocates for funding, just as the Coalition made more than 1,000 commitments worth $1.644 billion during the election campaign,” he said.
“That’s what local members do for their local communities.”
The Daily Mail’s reporting found that the document carried the name of the Prime Minister’s deputy director of communications. It detailed funding requests Ms Haines had made for projects in her regional Victorian electorate and outlined potential questions for reporters.
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Among the issues raised were whether Ms Haines had failed to declare gifts, possessed business interests, received political donations or had personal links to organisations that might benefit from government funding.
Daily Mail Political and Economics Editor Peter van Onselen said the Prime Minister had yet to clarify why the document was produced or what role his office played in distributing it.
“The PM was asked whether he knew about or approved the dirt file. He answered by praising Helen Haines,” he said.
Haines remains critically ill after being struck by a vehicle outside her office
‘That’s not an answer. It leaves entirely unexplained why his office circulated insinuations about her integrity.
‘This document appeared after Haines challenged the $6 million grant to the Prime Minister’s local golf club. If the purpose wasn’t to discredit her, what was it? Albo has offered no explanation for either its timing or its contents.’
Van Onselen said the Prime Minister’s defence of Haines during the interview sat uneasily alongside the contents of the briefing note.
‘The PM now says advocating for local funding is what good MPs do. Yet his office invited journalists to treat Haines’ advocacy as grounds for suspicion about undeclared gifts and personal interests.’
‘The dirt file had no evidence of undisclosed wrongdoing. He hasn’t addressed that contradiction.
‘When I showed Helen the document at the time I received it, she was disgusted. She was openly advocating for community projects, and suddenly found her personal integrity being questioned without supporting evidence.
‘The Prime Minister’s praise for her now is welcome, but it doesn’t explain his office’s disgraceful treatment of her then.’
On Tuesday evening, Victoria Police charged 43-year-old Brendan Nugent over the alleged hit-and-run that left Haines seriously injured.
He has been charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury and intentionally causing serious injury, following an investigation by detectives into the incident.
Police also laid a federal charge of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official against Nugent, with a maximum sentence of 10 years behind bars if convicted.
Nugent briefly appeared before Wangaratta Magistrates Court on Wednesday. He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to face court again in February.