An independent Australian lawmaker is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle outside her office in rural Victoria on Monday in what authorities describe as a suspected attack.
Haines, a former nurse and midwife, has served as the independent member of parliament for the Victorian seat of Indi since 2019. She was well known for calling for the creation of an anti-corruption agency, with her efforts helping lay the groundwork for the National Anti-Corruption Commission that began in 2023. Victoria police acting superintendent Ashley Mason said in televised comments that a 43-year old man had been arrested following the incident, which happened around 3:30 p.m. near Haines’ regional office in Wangaratta. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Monday that there had been a continuous rise in the number of threats toward senior officials, with 1,067 reports of harassing or threatening behavior against high office holders in the fiscal year that just ended.
The lawmaker, Helen Haines, 65, was injured in a “serious” incident, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a press conference in Sydney. There was a deliberate act,” Albanese said later in televised remarks. “We don’t know what the motivation is,” he added, noting that police and the security services are investigating and that the government had established a counterterrorism taskforce after the incident. Fellow independent lawmaker Allegra Spender said on television Monday that the majority of abuse she had received was online, not in person.
“This wasn’t an accident.
