Independent Australian MP Helen Haines in critical condition after car attack
Independent federal MP Helen Haines was critically injured on Monday when a car struck her in Wangaratta, Victoria. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the attack was deliberate, and a man is in police custody.
Helen Haines, the independent member of Australia's federal parliament for the Indi electorate in Victoria, remains in a critical condition at Melbourne's Alfred hospital after an alleged attack involving a car. The incident happened at about 3.35pm on Monday outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, in regional Victoria. A hospital spokesperson said on Tuesday morning that she was still critical after surgery overnight. Haines has represented Indi since 2019.
What is known
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Haines was getting items from, or putting them into, the boot of her car when the incident occurred. He said the driver passed her and then made a U-turn to return to where she stood, which in his view shows it was a deliberate act rather than an accident. The motive is not yet clear, and he urged against speculation while police establish the facts.
A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee is in custody. A passerby detained him after he got out of his vehicle, and a knife was allegedly found in his car. The Australian federal police, the domestic spy agency Asio and the joint counter-terror taskforce are investigating. Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason said police were still working out whether the incident was targeted, that nothing indicated the parties knew each other, and that there was no ongoing threat to the community.
Reaction
Albanese described Haines on Monday evening as a thoroughly decent person, full of integrity and respected across parliament. He said he had spoken with her husband, Phil, and would be briefed by police on Tuesday alongside Victorian premier Ben Carroll. Leaders of the Greens and One Nation, among other politicians, sent their good wishes.
Victorian National MP Tim McCurdy and independent senator David Pocock said they were shocked. Pocock said he had noticed an increase in angry calls to his office. Albanese said security advice from agencies would be followed, but MPs should stay able to meet their communities, and he called for a calmer tone in political debate.
