Donald Trump is the only right-wing figure in the West this century to actually roll back gains of the left, to actually win and for it to mean something. One of his more important achievements has been exposing what I call the noble loser. The conservative who prefers a moral trophy for being pure over actually winning. That was John McCain, that was Mitt Romney, and that is, it would seem, Andrew Hastie. Winning isn’t an end in itself. It’s how you secure the future for your people and the values you claim to represent. These conservatives claim to be principled, but their principles are usually about decorum, civility and process. They sacrifice the very things they entered politics to defend in order to preserve their own reputations for integrity. There is no dignity in losing. This isn’t a game where you can win a medal for fair play and sportsmanship. As @RogerJStoneJr says, “Losers don’t legislate.” Principled failure is still failure.

I wish we didn’t have to respond to this today. Our thoughts should be with Helen Haines, and praying for her speedy recovery. But the Labor and Liberal Dirt Units are already back at work, attempting to use this tragedy to silence their critics and deflect from their own failings. Too many media organisations are happy to help them fling the dirt. The Please Explain cartoons have nothing to do with the tragic attack on Helen Haines. They will not be going anywhere. Liberal and Labor politicians want our cartoons censored because they don’t like the scrutiny. Free speech, satire, criticism and debate are essential to our democracy. They must be protected. Those seeking to exploit this tragedy to silence their critics should be ashamed of themselves. What happened to Helen is heartbreaking. Politicians deserve to be safe. So does every other Australian. When violence touches politicians, the response is immediate: more security, more protection and demands for action. Where is that same urgency when ordinary Australians are attacked? Too many Australians have experienced violent home invasions, firebombings, machete and gun attacks and carjackings. Innocent Australians are being stabbed on the streets. They cannot call on a security detail. They rely on governments to keep their communities safe. Where has the Prime Minister been? Where is his determination to confront the crime and violence regular Australians face? One Nation will continue to hold the Albanese Labor government to account. We will keep speaking up for Australians whose safety and concerns have been ignored. We stand firmly against hatred, crime and violence. And we will keep working to unite all Australians under one flag.