Helen Haines, an independent Australian MP and anti-corruption campaigner, remains critically ill in hospital after being struck by a car outside her constituency office in Wangaratta, Victoria on Monday afternoon. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the incident appeared to be a deliberate attack, though police said they are still investigating whether it was an "intentional act".
A 43-year-old man from nearby Tarrawingee was detained at the scene by a passerby. Police recovered a knife inside the white Toyota Landcruiser used in the incident. Authorities said they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community. Police noted it is not yet known if the suspect and Haines knew each other.
Haines, 65, was initially treated at a local hospital before being airlifted to Melbourne. A witness told the ABC they saw the woman pinned between two cars after hearing a loud bang.
Albanese told ABC's 7:30 program that while it was too early to determine motive, the political temperature in Australia had been rising. His Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cited statistics showing reports of threatening or harassing behaviour toward politicians rose from 951 to 1,067 over the past year.
An Australian Security Intelligence Organisation assessment released last year warned that the risk of politically motivated violence was "already flashing red". A parliamentary report also warned that threats and physical attacks against parliamentarians had increased "significantly over the past decade".
Haines has been a federal MP since 2019 and is well regarded across the political spectrum as a unifying figure. She proposed legislation for a national anti-corruption watchdog in 2021 and is credited with driving the creation of the National Anti-Corruption Commission under Labor. She currently sits on the parliamentary committee overseeing the commission.
Political leaders from across Australia's spectrum issued statements of shock. Opposition leader Angus Taylor said Australians would be "angry and appalled" by the attack. Greens leader David Shoebridge called Haines "an extraordinary human being" who brings people together. Senator Pauline Hanson said violence against elected representatives is "never acceptable" and that members of parliament must be able to serve without fearing for their safety.