Independent Australian MP Helen Haines is receiving treatment for critical injuries after a vehicle struck her outside her Wangaratta office. Police detained a driver and seized a knife from the vehicle. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described a deliberate attack and said the joint counterterrorism team had been activated, while the motive remained unknown.
Helen Haines, an independent member of Australia’s federal parliament, suffered critical injuries after a vehicle struck her outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, a city in Victoria state, on Monday. Police took a 43-year-old man into custody. The incident prompted an investigation as Haines received medical care.[1], [2]
Victoria Police said bystanders apprehended the driver and handed him to officers. Police found and seized a knife inside the Toyota Land Cruiser. Acting superintendent Ashley Mason described the 65-year-old victim’s condition as critical, without naming her under normal police practice. Statements by Haines’s family and the prime minister identified her.[1]
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described what appeared to be a deliberate attack and said the joint counterterrorism team had been activated. He said the motivation remained unknown. Haines’s family thanked bystanders, health workers and police and requested privacy. A former nurse and midwife, Haines entered parliament in 2019 and has supported stronger climate action, political transparency and measures against corruption. Albanese expressed solidarity with her family, staff and community and hoped for her full recovery.[1]
