AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described an attack on independent lawmaker Helen Haines as deliberate after the vehicle that struck her outside her office allegedly made a U-turn before hitting her.
Haines underwent surgery overnight and remained in critical condition on Tuesday after being struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser in Wangaratta, about three hours’ drive north-east of Melbourne, on Monday.
“It’s clear that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn’t an accident, someone just skidding off the road,” Albanese told ABC News.
He said preliminary investigations indicated that Haines was loading or unloading items from the boot of her car when she was hit.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that witnesses said the driver reversed and struck Haines a second time before a bystander intervened.
A 43-year-old man was arrested following the incident, with counter-terrorism authorities among the agencies involved in the investigation.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said Victoria Police and the federal force were considering possible charges, including causing harm to a public official, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
“At this stage it appears this is an isolated incident,” Barrett said in a statement.
Australian media reported that local barber Ricky Jefferies ran from his shop to restrain the alleged attacker and remove a knife from him after initially believing the incident was a road accident.
Albanese said it was too early to establish a motive but urged Australians to engage with one another more respectfully amid growing social divisions.
He also expressed concern over a significant increase in threats against politicians in recent years.
Violent attacks on politicians remain rare in Australia, where elected representatives routinely attend community events and interact with voters without extensive security.
Haines, a former nurse, midwife and academic, was elected as an independent member of parliament for Indi in 2019 and retained the seat in 2022 and 2025.
A February survey by the Inter-Parliamentary Union found that 71 per cent of respondents had experienced violence from members of the public, particularly online. In Australia, incidents involving threatening or harassing behaviour towards lawmakers rose to 1,067 in the past year, from 951 the previous year.
“We all have a responsibility to turn the temperature down,” Albanese said.
“I really don’t want to see the character of Australia change,” he added, calling for unity and a stronger sense of belonging. - October 20, 2026