Australian MP Helen Haines Critical After Car Attack Outside Her Office

Helen Haines, the independent MP for the Victorian seat of Indi, is in a critical condition after a car struck her outside her electorate office on Monday afternoon.

The 65-year-old was hit by a white Toyota LandCruiser on Murphy Street in Wangaratta, about 230 kilometres northeast of Melbourne, at about 3:30pm local time. Witnesses said she was unloading items from the boot of a car in a parking bay when the four-wheel-drive hit her. One report said the driver passed her, then reversed back and struck her again.

A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was arrested at the scene. A local barber rushed out of his shop, pulled the driver from the car, and found a flick knife in his pocket, local media reported. He detained the man in a citizen’s arrest until police arrived. Victoria Police said a knife was found inside the vehicle and that they were investigating whether the incident was intentional.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the media on Monday night. He called the incident an attack and a deliberate act. The country’s joint counter-terrorism team has been activated, and the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, and the domestic intelligence agency ASIO are investigating whether it was a politically motivated attack.

“It was not an accident,” Albanese said, according to the ABC. He said it was too early to say what the motive was. Victoria Police said there was no indication of a continued threat to the public.

Haines was airlifted to a Melbourne hospital with severe lower body injuries. Her family said she was receiving medical care and asked for privacy. “We thank the swift assistance of bystanders and the dedicated health workers who assisted her, and police for their response,” the family said in a statement. “Please keep Helen in your thoughts.”

Haines, a former nurse and midwife, won the seat of Indi in 2019, succeeding fellow independent Cathy McGowan. She was re-elected in 2022 and 2025.