Federal MP Helen Haines is in a critical condition after she was struck by a four-wheel drive near her office, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said was an intentional attack being investigated by counterterrorism police. Source: The Age.
Ms Haines, a mother of three and grandmother, as well as a widely respected independent MP, was badly injured just before 4pm yesterday, realising the nation’s fears about an attack on a high-profile public figure or politician.
She was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne for treatment on Monday night.
A 43-year-old man was arrested near her regional Victorian electorate office in Wangaratta, in the state’s north-east.
Witnesses told both Nine and the ABC that they saw Ms Haines pinned between two vehicles just outside her electorate office as she was near her own car, causing severe leg injuries. Witnesses also said a man was pulled out of a white Toyota Landcruiser.
Police said a knife was seized from inside the Toyota and that the suspect, from Tarrawingee, 12km east of Wangaratta, was detained at the crash scene by a passerby.
“This wasn’t an accident. This was a deliberate act, it would appear,” Mr Albanese told ABC TV last night, confirming ASIO was involved and that Ms Haines had been airlifted to Melbourne for medical treatment.
“We don’t know what the motivation is. That is the work being undertaken [by authorities].”
The incident appears to be Australia’s first major attack on a federal politician resulting in serious injury, mirroring similar events in the US and UK.
Details remain scant, but the shock attack prompted politicians across the spectrum to underscore what authorities have identified as a more dangerous society and a higher volume of politically motivated violent threats.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said: “This is a shocking day for our nation. Australians will be angry and appalled by the attack on Helen outside her electorate office in Wangaratta. Our nation cannot become a place where violent attacks are normalised.”
In a statement last night, Catholic Social Services Australia said it was “deeply saddened and appalled by the violent attack on Dr Helen Haines”.
“Violence has no place in political discourse or public life. We repudiate any act that seeks to intimidate, harm, or silence those who serve democracy,” CSSA chief executive Jerry Nockles said.
“Such behaviour is a betrayal of the respect and dignity every person deserves and an affront to our way of life.
“Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, endowed with an inherent and inviolable dignity that demands our respect and protection. The attack on Dr Haines wounds not only one person but the very fabric of our community.”
FULL STORY
Independent MP Helen Haines in critical condition after ‘attack’ outside her office (By Paul Sakkal, James Costa and Jack Gramenz, The Age)
CSSA saddened and appalled by violent attack on federal MP Dr Helen Haines (CSSA)
