Australian MP Helen Haines critically injured in suspected car attack
What's new: Police arrested a 43-year-old man at the scene and found a knife inside the Toyota Land Cruiser.
Independent Australian lawmaker Helen Haines was critically injured Monday after a Toyota Land Cruiser struck her outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria, in what authorities are treating as a suspected deliberate attack. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the national counterterrorism team was involved and that investigators did not yet know the motive. Police said a 43-year-old man from nearby Tarrawingee was detained by a passerby, arrested at the scene and later interviewed. A knife was seized from inside the SUV. Haines, 65, was first taken to a hospital in Wangaratta and then flown to Melbourne. The attack renewed concern over lawmakers' safety after officials reported more than 1,000 threats against Australian politicians in the 2025-26 financial year.