Australian lawmaker Helen Haines hit by car outside electorate office in ‘deliberate act,’ PM says

By Hilary Whiteman, CNN

Brisbane, Australia (CNN) — An Australian lawmaker is in a critical condition after being hit by a car outside her electorate office in what the Prime Minister says was a “deliberate act,” though police are yet to identify a motive.

Helen Haines, 65, who represents the federal seat of Indi, was struck by a Toyota Landcruiser in Wangaratta, a rural city in northeast Victoria, about 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday, according to Victoria Police and her family, who identified her in a statement.

Witnesses rushed to her aid and detained the vehicle’s 43-year-old driver until police arrived, according to Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason. A knife was found during a search of the car, Mason added.

Political violence is rare in Australia, but reports of harassing and threatening behavior against politicians had risen in the past year, according to Australian Federal Police (AFP) statistics cited by the government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told state broadcaster the ABC late Monday it appeared to be a “deliberate act,” and while he wasn’t aware of any individual threats against Haines, he said the “temperature” of political discourse had “increased in recent times” and urged it to be turned down.

“There’s no place for political violence in a democracy,” he added.

A multi-tiered investigation is underway involving the AFP, Victoria Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team to examine the motive behind the attack.

MP ‘full of integrity’

Haines was elected to federal parliament in 2019 as an independent candidate who fought for better healthcare services in rural areas. She stood for integrity in politics, and called for gambling reform, better mental treatment and an end an to the war in Gaza.

Before entering politics, she worked as a midwife, establishing one of the country’s longest running rural midwifery services, according to her website.

“Helen Haines is incredibly hardworking,” Albanese said at a press conference on Monday. “She is fiercely intelligent, but most importantly, she’s just a thoroughly decent human being, full of integrity, and respected right across the Parliament, and from everyone who comes into contact with her.”

As he spoke, police officers were at the scene of the incident, working within a cordoned area near Haines’ electorate office on the main road in Wangaratta, a rural city home to around 30,000 people.

Police haven’t named the suspect but say he was from Tarrawingee, a rural town about 12 kilometers (seven miles) east of Wangaratta. It’s not clear if he was known to Haines, police said.

Politicians from all sides of politics expressed their shock into the evening on Monday. Liberal Party leader Angus Taylor said it was a “shocking day for the nation.”

“Australians will be angry and appalled by the attack on Helen outside her electorate office in Wangaratta,” he posted to X. ” Our nation cannot become a place where violent attacks are normalised.”

Pauline Hanson, leader of the right wing One Nation party that’s risen in popularity in recent months, also said there was no place for violence against any elected representative.

“Members of parliament and their staff must be able to serve their communities without fearing for their safety,” she said on X.

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