A member of Australia’s federal parliament is fighting for her life after police say she was deliberately hit by a vehicle in what authorities are treating as a targeted attack.
Victoria Police said a man has been charged over the alleged assault on independent MP Helen Haines, who suffered critical injuries. The charges include dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and the federal offence of harming a public official, police said.
Police said the man remains in custody and is due to appear in court tomorrow.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said earlier that the vehicle involved — a white Toyota Land Cruiser — carried out a U-turn before striking Ms Haines, describing the incident as clearly intentional.
Ms Haines underwent surgery overnight and remains in critical condition after the collision in Wangaratta, about 230km northeast of Melbourne, yesterday.
National broadcaster ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald reported she had lost a leg.
“It’s clear that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn’t an accident, someone just skidding off the road,” Mr Albanese told ABC News.
He said early inquiries indicated Ms Haines was hit while loading or unloading items from the boot of her car.
Helen Haines was elected to parliament as an independent in 2019 in the seat of Indi
In a joint statement, Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett said that “at this stage it appears this is an isolated incident.”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that witnesses reported the alleged attacker then reversed and struck Ms Haines a second time before a bystander intervened.
Australian media reported that Ricky Jefferies ran from his barber shop, restrained the attacker and took a knife from him after initially thinking he had come upon a traffic accident.
“I heard a loud bang with no brakes. It was crazy, I just ran out to the front to see what’s happening,” Mr 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,” he added.
Such assaults are highly unusual in Australia, where federal MPs, state leaders and even prime ministers are frequently seen in everyday places — from supermarkets to coffee shops — engaging with communities with minimal security.
Before entering politics, Ms Haines worked in nursing and midwifery and later as an academic. She was elected to parliament as an independent in 2019, winning the seat of Indi.
She held the electorate again in 2022 and 2025.
Anthony Albanese noted a ‘significant increase’ in threats against politicians in recent years
Mr Albanese said it was too early to identify a motive but called on Australians to treat each other with greater respect, warning that social division is deepening.
He also pointed to a “significant increase” in threats against politicians in recent years.
Across the world, elected representatives have reported escalating violence, threats and harassment, including online. In a February survey by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, 71% of respondents said they had experienced violence from the public, particularly online.
In Australia, incidents of threatening or harassing behaviour directed at politicians rose to 1,067 in the past year, up from 951 the year before.
“We all have a responsibility to turn the temperature down,” Mr Albanese said.
“I really don’t want to see the character of Australia change,” he said.
“But this is a challenge for us as a nation to make sure that we retain that sense of identity, that sense of belonging, that sense of unity as a country that is so important for us,” he added.
