Had breakfast this morning with a group of friends — all of them except me in the medical profession. Three men, three women. The mix among the men was interesting: one Muslim, one as Anglo-Australian as they come, and me (Indigenous). Two of the women were also very Anglo. My wife (Australian–New York Jewish) was there as well. The conversation turned to what happened to Helen Haines yesterday. She was struck by a car outside her electorate office in Wangaratta in what the Prime Minister has described as a deliberate act. She’s in a critical condition in hospital, and counter-terrorism authorities are involved. The motive is still being investigated. The Muslim man at the table was the first to raise it, and from there the discussion developed into something the whole group agreed on: Australia has a serious problem with violence against women, and a meaningful part of the current dynamic is being driven by Pauline Hanson for short-term political gain. The shared view was clear. If we actually want to address these issues, we have to deal with root causes. One of those roots is the politics of hate and division that Hanson continues to push. It’s not the whole story, but ignoring it doesn’t help.