Australian MP Helen Haines in critical condition after deliberate vehicle attack, prime minister says
Australian Independent MP Helen Haines is in critical condition following a deliberate vehicle attack in Wangaratta. Police have arrested a 43-year-old man and are investigating the incident, which authorities noted is highly unusual for the country.
Why it matters
Violent attacks against politicians are extremely rare in Australia, raising concerns about the safety of public officials and the potential for political instability.
Haines, 65, was airlifted to hospital where she underwent surgery overnight.
"This wasn't an accident. There was a deliberate act, it would appear. We don't know what the motivation is," Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Victoria Police said a 43-year-old man had been arrested after the attack on the Independent MP in Wangaratta, around 200 kilometres northeast of Melbourne.
"A knife was located by police and seized from inside the Toyota," police said.
Police indicated the man was expected to be interviewed on Tuesday morning and stressed they were treating the incident as isolated.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that witnesses said the alleged attacker reversed the vehicle and struck Haines a second time before a bystander removed the attacker from the car.
Albanese said it was too early to determine the motive for the attack, though a terrorism taskforce would be investigating the arrested suspect.
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