Helen Haines, an independent Australian MP known for anti-corruption advocacy, remains critically ill in a Melbourne hospital after being struck by a car outside her constituency office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday afternoon.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the incident appears to have been "a deliberate act" and was not an accident. Counter-terrorism police are involved in the investigation. Victoria Police said they are investigating whether it was "an intentional act" but stated they do not believe there is "an ongoing threat to the community."
A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was detained at the scene by a passerby. Police say a knife was found in the vehicle, a white Toyota Landcruiser. The suspect was arrested after being subdued. Victoria Police said it is not yet known if the parties are known to each other.
A witness told the ABC broadcaster they heard a bang and saw a woman pinned between two cars. Haines was initially treated at a Wangaratta hospital before being airlifted to Melbourne.
Albanese acknowledged that "the political temperature had been rising in Australia" but said it was too early to understand the attacker's motive. His Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cited figures showing reports of threatening or harassing behavior toward politicians rose from 951 to 1,067 in the past year.
An Australian parliamentary report released last year warned that threats and physical attacks against legislators had increased "significantly over the past decade." The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation cautioned in 2021 that the risk of politically motivated violence was "already flashing red."
Haines has served as a federal MP since 2019. She proposed legislation for a national anti-corruption watchdog in 2021 and is credited with driving creation of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. She currently sits on the parliamentary committee responsible for its oversight.
Political leaders across the spectrum expressed shock. Opposition leader Angus Taylor said he was "deeply saddened and distressed." Greens leader David Shoebridge called Haines "an extraordinary human being" who "brings people together like few others."