Australian independent MP Helen Haines is fighting for her life after being deliberately struck by a four-wheel-drive vehicle outside her electorate office in the regional city of Wangaratta, north-east Victoria, on Monday. The 65-year-old federal member for Indi suffered severe lower-body injuries and was airlifted to hospital, where she remains in a critical condition.
The attack took place at about 3.35pm local time as Haines was unloading items from the boot of a car in a parking bay on Murphy Street, outside her office, police said. She was hit by a white Toyota Land Cruiser. A 43-year-old man from nearby Tarrawingee was detained at the scene after a local barber rushed out and pulled him from the vehicle in a citizen’s arrest.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as a deliberate act and confirmed that the nation’s Joint Counter-Terrorism Team had been activated. “All of our thoughts are with Helen, her family, her friends, her team, and her community at this extremely difficult time. We are praying for her full recovery,” he told a press conference.
FAKTA
- Who: Helen Haines, 65, independent MP for the Victorian seat of Indi since 2019.
- What: Deliberately struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser outside her Wangaratta office at about 3.35pm local time on Monday.
- Condition: Critical, with severe lower-body injuries; airlifted to hospital.
- Suspect: A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee, arrested at the scene and held in custody for interview.
- Investigation: The Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the domestic intelligence agency ASIO are examining whether the attack was politically motivated; the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team has been activated.
- Threat level: Victoria Police say there is no further threat to the public at this stage.
Investigation under way
Police said a knife was found inside the Toyota, and local media reported that the detained man was carrying a flick knife which the barber seized from his pocket before holding him until officers arrived. Investigators have not yet established whether Haines and the suspect knew each other, and say it is too early to determine the motive behind the attack.
Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason said detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit were travelling to the scene, adding that nothing at this stage indicated a continuing danger to the community. The prime minister confirmed that federal and state agencies are working together to establish whether Haines was deliberately targeted.
Support pours in
Haines’s family, in a statement posted to her Facebook page, thanked “the swift assistance of bystanders and the dedicated health workers who assisted her, and police for their response.”
A former nurse, midwife and health researcher, Haines has represented Indi since 2019, when she succeeded fellow independent Cathy McGowan. She was re-elected in 2022 and 2025, and has lived in north-east Victoria for almost four decades.
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