Terrorism Squad to Probe Car Attack That Critically Injured Australian Lawmaker

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a terrorism squad would investigate the suspect who left lawmaker Helen Haines in a critical condition after he allegedly deliberately struck her with a car on Monday.

Victoria Police said the 43-year-old man had been arrested following the attack on independent Member of Parliament Haines outside her office in Wangaratta, which is about a three-hour drive northeast ​of Melbourne.

Haines, 65, was struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser as it drove along Murphy Street, ​where her office is, Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason told a press conference.

Knife Found in Vehicle

Mason said a knife was found inside ⁠the vehicle and the driver was detained by bystanders who witnessed the incident.

Haines, a former midwife and academic, was airlifted to the hospital where she was in a critical condition, police said.

Albanese, who leads the Labor government, told a press conference it was too early to determine the motive for the attack but said that social media had raised the temperature around politics in the country and pointed to online anonymity as a problem.

“The concern, if you look at anyone’s ​social media feeds and look at the comments, people will say things that they would never say face to face. But the temperature has undoubtedly been increased. Not just here in Australia, of course. We’ve seen incidents internationally as well,” he said.

“Here in Australia, it is a good thing that politicians are able to go about their community and engage with people,” he continued.

“I don’t want ​to see a political system in which you can’t have conversations with people at the supermarket, in the street, at street meetings, public forums. That’s an important part ​of our democracy.”

‘Shocking Day’ for Australia

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor described it as a “shocking day” for the country.

“Our nation cannot become a place where violent attacks are normalized,” Taylor said.

Victoria Police’s Mason told a ‌press conference they were treating the attack as an isolated incident, and there was no further threat to the public.

Politicians across the world have faced a surge in violence, threats and harassment, according to a survey published in February by the global Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The IPU, which groups 183 national parliaments, said 71 percent of respondents reported they experienced some level of violence or the threat of it from the public, particularly online.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told the news conference alongside Albanese that ​incidents of threatening or harassing behaviour towards ​lawmakers in Australia had risen to 1,067 ⁠in the past year, against 951 previously.

British, US Politicians Targeted

In Britain, two serving members of parliament have been murdered in the past decade—Conservative Sir David Amess in 2021, and Labour’s Jo Cox in 2016.

Britain’s Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood this month announced an urgent review into security arrangements for high-profile public figures in the wake of the killing of former minister Ann Widdecombe in July.

Prosecutors allege the killing of Widdecombe, a well-known former Conservative lawmaker and television personality who had joined Nigel Farage’s Reform party, was ideologically motivated.

A 28-year-old man, Joshua Kerry, is charged with her murder.

The United States has witnessed recent assassination attempts against President Donald Trump, including ​a shot that hit ⁠his ear during his 2024 campaign for reelection.

Member of Parliament Haines

Haines was elected to parliament in 2019 in the seat of Indi.

According to her website, she and her husband have children and run a small farm in north-east Victoria, for almost 40 years.

“Through my work as a nurse, midwife and health researcher, I’ve cared for people in our community during some of their most important moments,” Haines wrote.

She added that as an independent lawmaker, she was able to “fight” to get results for her constituents, “even when the going is tough.”

Albanese told the press conference, “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.”

Haines’ family posted on her Facebook page, writing: “This afternoon, our beloved Helen was involved in an incident outside her Wangaratta Electorate Office, and is receiving medical care. 

“We thank the swift assistance of bystanders and the dedicated health workers who ​assisted her, and police for their response.”

Reuters contributed to this report.