Politics live updates: Joyce labels Haines ‘dirt file’ ‘pathetic’ as David Pocock demands apology from PM

The man accused of entering WA minister Hannah Beazley’s electorate office and threatening her staff with makeshift nunchucks has a lengthy history of mental ill-health, a court has been told.

John Lawrence Smart is accused of attending Ms Beazley’s Victoria Park office with “homemade nunchucks” comprising two pieces of wood tied together, and a “second similar implement attached to his belt” just after 1pm on Wednesday.

Mr Smart remained visibly agitated during his appearance in court on Thursday, holding his head in his hands and muttering to himself.

He told the court the “nunchucks” were actually claves, a traditional hand percussion instrument made of short, cylindrical wooden sticks.

“I’ve been playing them for eight years!” he said in the dock.

“They don’t understand what I’ve been going through . . . I’ve got the holy grail.”

A mental health assessment ordered by court duty lawyers revealed Mr Smart suffered from schizophrenia and had 20 admissions to the Bentley Mental Health Service since 2011.

The report said Mr Smart suffered from persecutorial beliefs, and that he was often highly paranoid, hostile and aggressive, and was difficult to manage in the community.

​Read more. ​

One Nation’s Barnaby Joyce has ripped into Anthony Albanese about a “dirt file” his office created in the weeks before independent MP Helen Haines was struck by a car outside her electorate office in Victoria’s northwest.

It was sent out after Dr Haines criticised a $6m grant allocated to Mr Albanese’s local golf club, the Marrickville Golf Club.

Speaking to News 24, Mr Albanese did not deny the existence of the file, instead saying Dr Haines was a “good member”.

“She put forward applications like other members do for grants, and that’s what good local members do. Helen Haines is a very strong advocate for her community,” he said.

Speaking to News 24 on Thursday night, Mr Joyce said Mr Albanese’s response to the dirt file was a “pathetic attempt to demean and diminish a very decent lady”.

He said it was “infuriatingly ridiculous” for Mr Albanese to not apologise for the dirt file, arguing the Prime Minister’s office thought Australians were “stupid”.

“It is just so infuriatingly ridiculous that you think we’re all that stupid when the only people who are as dumb as a bag of hammers are residing in the Prime Minister of Australia’s office,” he said.

with NCA Newswire

Federal MP Helen Haines has spent a fourth night in hospital where she remains in a critical but stable condition.

In an update on Friday morning, Melbourne’s The Alfred hospital confirmed Dr Haines’ condition remained the same.

The confirmation comes after Dr Haines’ husband, Phil Haines, told reporters on Wednesday that surgeons at the hospital had to remove both of the member for Indi’s legs.

The Labor government is considering plans to increase home security and police protections for parliamentarians in the wake of the alleged attack on Helen Haines, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Politicians will gather in Parliament on Monday where a special session to honour the Federal MP will take place, alongside Labor’s push for legislative agenda on taxing trusts, the digital duty of care, and keeping gas onshore.

The life-threatening incident involving Dr Haines has thrust long-running political heat to the forefront, with politicians across all sides of Parliament speaking out about concerns over their safety.

Independent Senator David Pocock has demanded greater accountability from the Prime Minister over a controversial document circulated by Anthony Albanese’s office targeting Helen Haines.

The Prime Minister defended the “dirt file”, which questioned whether the member for Indi had conflicts of interest relating to funding proposals she supported, saying it intended to show “people of integrity stand up for their electorate”.

“It’s a list of funding asks from Helen Haines . . . just showing that people of integrity stand up for their electorate. It’s no personal criticism of Helen,” the PM told ABC radio on Thursday.

But Senator Pocock rejected Mr Albanese’s explanation and called for an apology over the incident.

“Dr Haines’ integrity is beyond question. Helen is one of the most principled people I know,” he told The Australian.

“It seems clear that staff in the Prime Minister’s office have been caught engaging in underhanded behaviour.

“Trying to explain this away rather than acknowledging what happened, taking responsibility and apologising is not good enough.

“Whether or not this behaviour was authorised, it was wrong, and there should be accountability.”