Helen Haines on ABC News Breakfast

The Border Mail

WATCH: Helen Haines on ABC News Breakfast speaking with  James Glenday about the double fatal police shooting at Porepunkah

Transcript

00:00My community is completely shocked and devastated and I share that shock with them.

00:07There is so much grief and disbelief and frankly horror at what's unfolded in Pawpunkka.

00:16Two fine police officers have been killed and one is seriously injured and this is still

00:24an active incident.

00:26So the community around that region are essentially sheltering in place and the police and emergency

00:34services are doing an incredible job to try and track down this offender.

00:39Yes, we've been hearing this morning it's causing enormous disruption around there.

00:43We are expecting an update from police very soon.

00:46Do you know yet, it might even be too early to say, what sort of support you would like

00:50from the Victorian Government for your area?

00:54Well, I think the Victorian Government are doing everything they can.

00:57And I know that the Victorian Police and emergency services are throwing every resource at this

01:06issue to find and apprehend this offender.

01:12I think I can't ask for more than that and right now that's the priority.

01:18But of course the critical thing here as well is the support to the families, the friends

01:27and colleagues of the fallen officers.

01:30The grief is enormous and the concern and fear in the community is profound.

01:37So we need to wrap ourselves around all of these people.

01:42And when this offender is finally brought in, there will be significant, significant work

01:49to be done to support the community and to support our police officers who put themselves in danger

01:58every single day for us.

01:59And their courage is magnificent and their grief will be profound, but they are continuing to

02:05go about their work, which is so important.

02:08There's more than an echo, it seems, at this initial early stage of what's happened here compared

02:13to what happened in Queensland at William Biller.

02:16Do you have any initial thoughts about what governments should be doing to alleviate, to try

02:23to combat the rise of these so-called sovereign citizen groups, which effectively believe that

02:28the law of the land doesn't apply to them?

02:30Well, I echo the words of the Minister for Home Affairs and also the Prime Minister.

02:38The law of this land applies to everyone, irrespective of what ideology a person may or may not subscribe

02:46to.

02:48We have been warned earlier last year about the rise of various ideologies and the real

02:54risk that that poses to civil society.

02:59But in this case, again, we have an active, active event happening right now in Pawpunkka with

03:06police and emergency services trying to apprehend this offender.

03:11And until this person is brought in, we won't know exactly what has motivated this person.

03:19But whichever way you look at it, extreme ideologies have no place in Australia.

03:24There is no place for anybody believing that they are above the law.

03:29And there is absolutely horror and dismay and grief at the appalling violence that's taken

03:36place in Pawpunkka yesterday.

03:39Helen Haynes, we do really appreciate you joining us this morning on what is a difficult

03:43day for your community.

03:44Helen Haynes, we do really appreciate you joining us today for your community.

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