Politician critically injured by car ‘no accident’, says Australian PM

An Australian politician is in a critical condition after she was struck by a car in an apparently deliberate act, prime minister Anthony Albanese said.

Federal independent legislator Helen Haines, 65, was struck by a Toyota Landcruiser SUV outside her electoral district office in the city of Wangaratta in Victoria state.

The driver has been arrested.

Mr Albanese said the national counter-terrorism team, incorporating police and intelligence agencies, is investigating.

He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp: “This wasn’t an accident. There was a deliberate act, it would appear. We don’t know what the motivation is.”

Police did not identify the victim, in accordance with privacy policy, but Ms Haines’ family confirmed her identity in a media statement.

The 43-year-old driver was detained at the scene by a passer-by. He will be interviewed in relation to the incident, police said.

“A knife was located by police and seized from inside the Toyota,” officers said.

“At this stage, police are investigating as to whether this was an intentional act.”

Ms Haines, who was first elected to the Australian parliament in 2019, was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, police said.

The episode has renewed safety concerns for Australian legislators, in a country where politicians have historically been highly accessible to the public and usually go about their business without security officers present. But public incitement against officials is growing.

Authorities are concerned that there were more than 1,000 threats of violence against public figures in Australia in the past year and that being in public office has become more dangerous.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said in 2025 that threats against parliamentarians had doubled over the past three years.

Police data showed more than 1,000 such threats against Australian politicians in the 2025-2026 financial year, home affairs minister Tony Burke said.

Mr Albanese told ABC it was “unfortunate” that an increasingly polarised political climate had already led to security changes for Australia’s legislators.

“I think there has been a rise in temperature and there has been too much shouting, not enough discourse, not enough polite conversation and disagreement,” he said on Monday.

There was “no question” that social media played a part, Mr Albanese added.

Murders of politicians in Britain have prompted bolstered security. Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the so-called Islamic State group.

In July, the former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe was killed with a hammer at her home. A man has been charged with murder and terrorism-related offences.