AN Australian lawmaker has had a leg amputated after a man allegedly struck her with a car and reversed to hit her a second time, in an attack being investigated by counter-terrorism police.
Independent MP Helen Haines remained in critical condition on Tuesday after undergoing surgery overnight following Monday’s incident in Wangaratta, a rural town north of Melbourne.
Reuters cited today that the motive remains unclear, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack appeared deliberate and urged Australians to tone down increasingly polarised political debate.
“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 hit while loading or unloading items from the boot of her car.
Australian media, citing unnamed sources, reported that doctors had amputated one of her legs and were working to save the other.
A 43-year-old man was arrested following the attack, with counter-terrorism authorities among several agencies investigating the incident.
Police are considering possible charges, including causing harm to a public official, an offence punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, as they seek to establish the motive.
“At this stage it appears this is an isolated incident,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that witnesses said the alleged attacker reversed his vehicle and struck Haines a second time before a bystander intervened.
Ricky Jefferies, who ran from his barber shop to help, reportedly restrained the man and removed a knife from him after initially believing the incident was a road accident.
“I heard a loud bang with no brakes. It was crazy, I just ran out to the front to see what’s happening,” Jefferies told reporters outside his shop.
“I didn’t realise the seriousness of the situation initially, and once it became relevant I just did what I could and what others were already trying to do.”
Violent attacks on politicians are extremely rare in Australia, where elected representatives often meet constituents in public with limited security.
Haines, a former nurse, midwife and academic, entered Parliament in 2019 as the independent member for Indi. She retained the seat in the 2022 and 2025 elections.
Outside the hospital where Haines was being treated, Melbourne resident Shawn Hill said the attack reflected growing political divisions.
“No one deserves to be put at risk of anything, especially someone who is serving the people and trying to do what is best for the Australian community,” he told Reuters.
Albanese said threats against politicians had increased significantly in recent years and called on Australians to engage more respectfully with one another.
“We all have a responsibility to turn the temperature down,” he said. “I really don’t want to see the character of Australia change.” - October 20, 2026