Australian Independent MP Helen Haines Critical After Vehicle Attack in Wangaratta

Victorian Independent MP Helen Haines, 65, is in critical condition in hospital after being struck by a white vehicle outside her electoral office on Murphy Street in Wangaratta just after 3:35pm on Monday afternoon. She suffered severe lower body injuries and may be airlifted to Melbourne for further treatment.

Witnesses said the driver passed Haines before performing a U-turn and driving back, striking her with the vehicle and pinning her underneath. A local barber pulled the driver from the car and wrestled him to the ground after a flick knife was allegedly found in his pocket.

“This was not an accident. It appears to have been a deliberate act.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the incident was not an accident and described it as a deliberate attack. He said the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and ASIO are working together, and the Joint Counter Terrorism Team has been activated.

A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was detained at the scene and arrested. Police confirmed a knife was found inside the vehicle. The suspect will be interviewed at Wangaratta Police Station, but the motive remains unknown.

Haines, a mother of three, was elected as the independent member for Indi in 2019 and was re-elected in 2022 and 2025. Before entering politics, she worked as a nurse, midwife and public health researcher.