The daughter of dairy farmers educated at a one-teacher rural school, Helen Haines has dedicated her life to the bush through nursing, advocacy and politics.
Her reputation for compassion and decency as the independent MP for Indi, in northern Victoria, is part of what makes the alleged deliberate attack on Dr Haines so shocking.
"Helen Haines is characterised by her kindness, her compassion, her diligence, her intelligence," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the ABC on Tuesday.
"She's someone who's such a strong advocate and is widely respected right across the political spectrum because the way that she advocates is very respectful."
Raised on the land with her four brothers in Eurack, Dr Haines married ag scientist Phil Haines and started her career as the matron of the Chiltern Bush Nursing Hospital at 26.
The arrival of the internet allowed Dr Haines to further her education while working and raising her three children, a quest that took her to Sweden to get a doctorate in medical science.
After decades in the health sector, Dr Haines took on the Voices for Indi grassroots movement from her retiring predecessor Cathy McGowan.
Dr Haines won the seat in 2019, with a campaign focused on health equity, rural prosperity and climate action. She has been re-elected twice.
Standing tall and poised as one of just 132 women to be elected to the House of Representatives by 2019, Dr Haines brought her parents' wisdom to the halls of power.
"I'm betting that if they were alive today their advice to me in this place would be: sit up straight, clean your shoes and don't put up with too much tommyrot," Dr Haines said in her maiden speech.
She has lived up to that sentiment.
Dr Haines has been a key figure in establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission, in a bid to boost trust in government and ensure public money flows to communities.
The appointment of new commissioners was announced just two hours before Dr Haines was struck while outside her electorate office in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon.
"Helen is an extraordinary parliamentarian and an extraordinary person," a statement from The Centre for Public Integrity said.
"She is passionate, principled, intelligent, warm and down to earth.
"She has dedicated herself to making government work better, not just for the people of her beloved electorate of Indi, but for all Australians."
Independent Senator David Pocock, also a vocal campaigner for the commission, described Dr Haines as "the very best of us".
"Helen represents so much of the values we share as Australians," Senator Pocock said in a statement.
"At a moment like this we should turn to them more than ever and be sure to take care of one another."
