Anthony Albanese‘s office circulated a dirt sheet to journalists baselessly raising questions about Helen Haines’ integrity after she criticised a $6million grant allocated to the Prime Minister’s local golf course.
Albanese’s team sent the document to select parliamentary press gallery reporters about a month before Haines was seriously injured in an alleged attack outside her Wangaratta office on Monday afternoon.
Haines was airlifted to Melbourne‘s The Alfred Hospital and is in a critical condition after 43-year-old Brendan Nugent allegedly rammed the MP against her car with his Toyota LandCruiser, reversed, and drove into her a second time.
In the wake of the incident, Albanese called for a lowering of the political temperature, praised Haines’s integrity and issued a warning against unjustified attacks on politicians’ motives.
‘I do always agree that her motives are good,’ the Prime Minister told ABC’s 7:30 on Monday night.
But just weeks ago, Albanese’s office circulated a document – bearing the name of the PM’s deputy director of communications – that raises questions about the standard of the government’s own contributions to political debate in Australia.
The document, obtained by the Daily Mail, attempted to smear Haines by cataloguing her own funding requests for her electorate and asking if she may have had personal connections to recipients of Federal government funding.
For instance, it asked whether Haines had received undeclared wine or food from local businesses, held business interests, received political donations or had personal associations with businesses that could benefit from government tourism funding.
Independent MP Helen Haines was outspoken about pork barrelling in federal politics after it was revealed that the Albanese government handed Marrickville Golf Club a $6million grant
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Helen Haines for her integrity on Monday evening. His office circulated a document to journalists smearing her just weeks ago
The document contained no proof of wrongdoing whatsoever but suggested avenues for reporters to look into about Haines after she had become outspoken about government pork barrelling, calling for greater transparency from the government.
The document, obtained by the Daily Mail, targeted Haines over her advocacy for projects in her northern Victorian electorate of Indi. For instance, it asked if Haines had ever visited the Benalla Art Gallery where she had requested $8million for a redevelopment project.
‘Given she has pushed for funding for this project, has the Member for Indi ever visited, been a member of, donated to, or have any personal or professional connection with any of the employees or Board of Benalla Art Gallery?’ the document said.
For a local recreation centre upgrade, it asked whether she had played or trained with local sporting clubs, watched games or received jerseys or equipment. The document also highlighted how she had received Mount Buller ski lift passes for herself and her spouse alongside her subsequent requests for resort infrastructure funding.
It supplied no evidence of undisclosed wrongdoing. When the document was brought to her attention at the time, Haines told the Daily Mail she had not previously seen it, adding: ‘They are pretty desperate.’
She explained that her annual budget submissions were public documents advocating for local projects put forward by councils, regional development officials and community organisations. ‘I’m proud of it,’ she said.
Haines also drew a distinction between requesting funding from officials and having the power to allocate it, as the Albanese government does. She said she could not ‘fix a grant program’ to deliver the projects she advocated for, which was why she sought specialist competitive grants programs, including for regional hospitals.
Speaking on the ABC last night, Albanese repeatedly praised Haines’s character.
Extracts from the dirt sheet circulated to members of the federal parliamentary press gallery. It asked questions about Haines’ interests – but provided no answers
The Prime Minister is pictured, with dog Toto, at Marrickville Golf Club, for a separate canine’s birthday party
‘There’s a reason why Helen Haines is so loved and admired, because she’s someone of integrity,’ he said.
Asked what she meant to him, he again answered: ‘Integrity.’
He described her as passionate about her community and said she was always worth listening to, even when they disagreed.
The Microsoft Word document smearing Haines records ‘Lloyd, Joshua’ as both its creator and last editor. Joshua Lloyd is Albanese’s deputy director of communications.
Its company field lists the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and its creation date is September 10, the day after the Haines statement quoted in the document.
Metadata records the information stored in a file’s properties, but does not conclusively establish who wrote or authorised its contents, and the Daily Mail does not suggest otherwise. Such details can carry over from templates or be changed.
Under an all-capital heading, the document noted Haines had requested more than $1.8billion for projects across two budget submissions.
It placed those requests alongside her September 9 criticism that Australians were increasingly fed up with a ‘self-serving political establishment’ and that pork barrelling undermined trust in democracy.
The document questioned the projects’ value for money and the due diligence behind their selection before raising questions about her personal connections.
On Monday night, Albanese said political differences should be debated respectfully.
‘They shouldn’t be the subject of personal rancour and the calling into people’s motivation where it’s not appropriate to do so.’
He also criticised the ‘contest for clicks’ and called for more nuance and less shouting.
His government has previously faced questions about its own rhetoric.
At Queensland’s Labor conference on August 30, Albanese described hard-right populists’ politics as ‘dangerous, divisive, and downright dishonest’, before specifically attacking One Nation.
When Pauline Hanson subsequently said his remarks had left her feeling unsafe, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland suggested she examine whether her own party, ideology and behaviour were encouraging the danger.
Rowland also condemned threats across politics and explicitly rejected wishing Hanson physical harm.
Albanese said on Monday that the motivation for the incident involving Haines remained unknown and should not be prejudged. Her welfare was his immediate priority.
‘She’s just a thoroughly decent, respectful human being who is a delight to work with and her presence in the Parliament adds to it.’
The Prime Minister’s office has been contacted for comment.
