Australian lawmaker critically injured in apparent deliberate car attack

MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian lawmaker Helen Haines was critically injured Monday when a car struck her outside her district office, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said appeared to be a deliberate act. A 43-year-old driver was apprehended, and a national counterterrorism team is investigating.

“This wasn’t an accident. There was a deliberate act, it would appear. We don’t know what the motivation is,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Police said they were still investigating whether the collision was intentional.

A Toyota Land Cruiser SUV struck Haines, 65, in the afternoon outside her office in Wangaratta, Victoria, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) northwest of Melbourne. She was taken to a hospital with critical injuries. Civilians apprehended the driver at the scene and handed him over to police. Officers found and seized a knife inside the SUV, police said.

Albanese said a national counterterrorism team involving police and intelligence agencies had been brought into the investigation. He did not suggest a motive.

“All of our thoughts are with Helen, her family, her friends, her team and her community at this extremely difficult time,” Albanese said. “We are praying for her full recovery.” He described the independent lawmaker as “incredibly hardworking” and “a thoroughly decent human being.”

Haines’ family said she was receiving medical care and asked the public and media to respect its privacy. “We thank the swift assistance of bystanders and the dedicated health workers who assisted her, and police for their response,” the family said in a statement reported by Al Jazeera.

First elected to Parliament in 2019, Haines had previously worked as a nurse and midwife. Al Jazeera reported that she has supported stronger climate action and efforts to increase political transparency and combat corruption.

The collision has renewed concerns about the safety of Australian politicians, who have historically been accessible to the public and have generally worked without security officers present. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said in 2025 that threats against parliamentarians had doubled over the previous three years, according to NPR. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Monday that police had recorded more than 1,000 threats against politicians in the 2025-2026 financial year, NPR reported.

Albanese said the political climate had grown more hostile and had already prompted changes to lawmakers’ security. “There has been too much shouting, not enough discourse, not enough polite conversation and disagreement,” he told the ABC. He also pointed to social media, saying people post comments they would never make face to face.

Police have not announced a conclusion about the driver’s intent or whether the knife was connected to the collision.