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By Matt Cannon and Brendan Cole
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An Australian federal lawmaker was in a critical condition on Monday after being struck by a car in what the country's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, called an "attack."
Independent MP Helen Haines was "attacked outside her electorate office" on Monday afternoon in Wangaratta, north-east of Melbourne, Albanese told reporters.
A 43-year-old man has been arrested. Counter terrorism units have been activated but a motive remains unknown, the prime minister said. Newsweek has contacted Victoria Police for comment.
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Helen Haines 'Attack': What We Know
Victoria Police said that a white Toyota Land Cruiser driven by the suspect struck Haines about 3:35 p.m. local time (12:35 a.m. ET), on Monday.
"When he exited the Toyota the driver, a 43-year-old Tarrawingee man, was arrested at the scene by a passerby," the statement added. Tarrawingee is a town about eight miles east of Wangaratta.
A knife was later found inside the vehicle, police said. "At this stage, police are investigating as to whether this was an intentional act," the statement said, "it is not known yet if the parties are known to each other."
Australia's public broadcaster ABC News reported that the suspect was known to police and will undergo a mental health assessment. Counter-terror investigators will also examine his history.
Police maintained a heavy presence around Haines' office in Murphy Street, Wangaratta, hours after the incident, with the city's central business district remained cordoned off.
"It is too early in this investigation formally to provide you with details about what the motivation is behind this attack," Albanese added.
In an interview with ABC News on Monday, Prime Minister Albanese expressed concern at nature of political discourse saying "the temperature has increased in recent times."
The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, warned in February 2025 about the rising levels of political violence in Australia and that there was an unprecedented level of threats until 2030.
"I don't want to see a political system in which you can't have conversations with people at the supermarket, in the street, at street meetings, public forums," Albanese said.
Who Is Australian MP Helen Haines?
Haines has been a member for Indi since 2019. The 65-year-old secured her third term as an Independent in the federal seat of Indi in the last federal election.
The area in Victoria's north-east includes cities of Wodonga, Wangaratta and Benalla. The Indi seat was held by conservatives for more than eight decades until 2013.
Haines narrowly won Indi with 51.4 percent of the two-candidate-preferred vote in 2019, before increasing her share to 58.6 percent in the last federal election there in May 2025.
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Haines is generally considered a moderate progressive with a strong drive for health reforms.
She worked as a nurse, midwife and public-health researcher before entering politics.
Haines was a key player in its establishment of Australia's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) which she has served as deputy chair of its joint committee.
Reaction to 'Shocking Day' for Australia
The Centre for Public Integrity, an independent research institute which she has ties with, said that if the incident is proved to be intentional, it would be an “act of democratic violence."
"Helen is one of Australia’s most effective and determined champions of integrity in public life," it said in a statement.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor called it a "shocking day for our nation" and that "no-one should be targeted in this way."
"Our nation cannot become a place where violent attacks are normalized," he said. "I've spoken with the prime minister, and we are united in our view that political violence must never be accepted as part of public life."
Pauline Hanson, a Queensland senator from the One Nation party, posted on Facebook: "Violence against any elected representative, whoever they are and whatever they stand for, is never acceptable in Australia.
"Members of parliament and their staff must be able to serve their communities without fearing for their safety."
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