Australian MP critically injured after being hit by car in apparent attack
Australian independent MP Helen Haines is in critical condition after being struck by a car outside her constituency office. Police are investigating the incident as a potential deliberate attack, noting that a knife was found in the suspect's vehicle.
Why it matters
The incident highlights growing concerns regarding the safety of political figures and the rising political temperature in Australia.
Image source, AAP via Reuters Image caption, Helen Haines is well-known and well regarded as an anti-corruption campaigner
Australian MP Helen Haines is critically ill in hospital in Melbourne after being hit by a car in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says may have been a deliberate attack.
The independent MP, 65, was struck outside her constituency office in Wangaratta, in the state of Victoria, on Monday afternoon.
A man, 43, from the nearby town of Tarrawingee was detained at the scene by a passerby and police say a knife was found in the car.
Police are investigating whether it was an "intentional act" but say they do not believe there is an "ongoing threat to the community".
Political leaders have expressed shock and dismay, with Albanese saying "there is no place for violence in a democracy".
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