Helen Haines fighting for life as counter-terrorism team joins car-attack probe

Australian independent MP Helen Haines is fighting for her life after being deliberately struck by a car outside her electorate office, with counter-terrorism police now formally part of the investigation.

The 65-year-old member for Indi was hit by a white Toyota LandCruiser on Murphy Street in Wangaratta, north-east Victoria, at about 3.35pm local time on Monday. She was airlifted to a Melbourne hospital that evening, where she underwent emergency surgery overnight but remains in a critical condition, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday morning. (1News, CNN)

Albanese, visibly emotional in an ABC interview, said the attack was no accident. “This wasn’t something with a car just going off the road, this is something that is very clear was aimed at causing harm to Helen Haines,” he told News24, adding that the driver had made a U-turn before veering off the road towards her as she retrieved items from the boot of her car. (1News)

A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was detained by bystanders and arrested at the scene; a knife was seized from inside the vehicle, Victoria Police said. The case is being investigated by Victoria Police’s counterterrorism taskforce alongside spy agency ASIO and the Australian Federal Police, with the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team examining the motive for the attack. (1News, CNN)

Police say no motive has yet been established and there is no ongoing threat to the wider community. MPs from across the political spectrum condemned the attack, and Haines’s family asked for privacy, saying: “Please keep Helen in your thoughts.” (CNN, 1News)