Helen Haines: independent MP in critical condition in Melbourne’s Alfred hospital after being struck by car in Wangaratta – follow updates

Key events

Asio boss warns about ‘violent rhetoric in public discourse’

The Asio director-general, Mike Burgess, has acknowledged the “horrific” alleged attack on Helen Haines.

In a statement, Burgess said:

Victoria Police are working to establish the motivation for this attack, including whether the incident was politically motivated.

Elevated levels of grievance, intolerance and polarisation continue to create a permissive environment of violence.

I have repeatedly put on the record my concern about the use of violent rhetoric in public discourse.

Words matter.

He noted the incident involving Haines occurred in an environment where politically motivated violence has been more likely than in previous years:

By all means disagree, but consider how you disagree. By all means protest, but consider how you protest. By all means criticise elected officials, but consider how you criticise elected officials.

Politically motivated violence was among Australia’s principal security concerns when Asio raised the national terrorism threat level in August 2024, Burgess said.

Press pack waits outside of The Alfred

Outside The Alfred in Melbourne’s inner south-east, where Helen Haines underwent surgery last night, it is fairly quiet.

Runners and people walking dogs are making their way through the nearby park.

Out the front of the hospital, there’s a growing press pack with TV reporters doing crosses to the morning news shows.

The hospital has not indicated whether there will be a press conference this morning, but we will update you if and when it happens.

Earlier, the hospital said Haines remains in a critical condition.

Lidia Thorpe shares tribute to Haines, shares daily fears of being in public eye

Senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe says Helen Haines is a “genuinely lovely person” and shared her own concerns about her safety as a parliamentarian.

She told ABC Radio Melbourne host Raf Epstein:

If people like Helen Haines are being [allegedly] attacked, then no one’s safe.

Thorpe says she has received abuse since being elected MP for the Victorian state seat of Northcote back in 2017. She says she worries for her personal safety daily and reveals that she sometimes wears a disguise when in public.

Thorpe adds says she has previously been told by the AFP not to go home because it was too unsafe.

To see other politicians being [allegedly] attacked like this, it’s like, where do we cross the line? What kind of country are we becoming with so much hate?

Barber who stopped alleged attacker speaks from Wangaratta

The Main Street of Wangaratta is quiet, aside from a large media throng outside MP Helen Haines’ office. The front door is starting to fill up with cards and flowers as community members leave messages for a quick recovery.

Local barber Ricky Jefferies, whose shop is next door to Haines’ office, had just finished cutting a young family’s hair when the car hit Haines at about 3.30pm on Monday. He said there was a loud crash and he ran to help. He said:

A lot of people got involved immediately, and they didn’t even check the danger; they just ran to help.

The driver was still in the car, the car was still on, and … a man sat in front of the moving car.

I had no choice but to take him out of the car because it was the right and safest thing to do.

Jefferies said he held the man down, telling him he couldn’t leave, but he would be alright, trying to calm him down while others helped Haines. Jefferies alleged he had a knife on him, which he took off.

He [allegedly] did have a knife. He didn’t pull it out. Basically just … took it out of his pocket and threw it away.

Jefferies, who was back at work cutting hair at 7am on Tuesday, said he doesn’t want to be seen as a hero, and that like all of the community, he is praying Haines recovers quickly.

No one’s job should put them at risk. I can tell you from my own personal dealings that she is a genuine, kind person.

Democracy Counts organisation ‘deeply saddened’ by incident

The independent organisation Democracy Counts, whose work focuses on driving independence, integrity and transparency in politics, is “shocked and deeply saddened” by the news that Helen Haines has been critically injured.

Our democracy only works if decent people with character, commitment, compassion and capability are willing to put their hand up to serve their communities by representing them. If this incident is shown to have been a politically motivated attack, it will be an attack on democracy itself.

We must do more to ensure parliamentarians are safe in their work, and reflect on the culture that is driving dangerously undemocratic behaviour.

Mark Butler calls for greater tolerance in political life

Here’s more from the federal health minister, Mark Butler, who spoke to Sunrise about a “huge increase in hate and intolerance” in public commentary:

It’s not just here in Australia, we’re seeing this around the world, but that hate could turn into violence.

There have been warnings about this for some time now: the need to turn the temperature down and for us all to be a little bit more tolerant of each other.

The health minister, Mark Butler, has told the Today show that “it’s hard to imagine a more gentle, compassionate, decent member of parliament than Helen”.

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her raise her voice, and I can’t say that about many MPs. The debate can be very vigorous, but from Helen it’s always incredibly respectful.

Butler said given her experience as a nurse and midwife, along with her doctorate in public health, he works with Haines more than many other of his parliamentary colleagues and values her expertise.

I can only imagine the shock and distress that Helen’s family are feeling right now as they wait for news about her surgery overnight, also her community, her staff, her friends.

This is incredibly confronting, and we’re all waiting for what we hope will be positive news about Helen’s very serious injuries.

Independent Jacqui Lambie pays tribute to Haines

Jacqui Lambie has issued a statement about Helen Haines this morning:

I echo the sentiments of my colleagues when I say that Helen Haines is truly the best of us.

My heart goes out to Helen’s family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

We are all praying for her speedy recovery.

What we know so far

Here are some of the developments we’ve heard since this morning:

The federal independent MP for Indi, Helen Haines, is in a critical condition after being struck by a car outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria, at about 3.35pm on Monday.

She has been taken to Melbourne’s Alfred hospital, where she underwent surgery overnight.

A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee is in custody, and the alleged attack is being investigated by the Australian federal police, Asio and the joint counter-terror taskforce. The motive is not yet known. A knife was allegedly found in his car after he was detained by a passerby when he got out of his vehicle.

Police are expected to interview the suspect in the alleged attack this morning.

A local barber has been praised for stepping in to apprehend the alleged attacker.

Politicians across the political spectrum including the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, and fellow independents have sent well-wishes to Haines.

Female politicians ‘cop it a lot worse’ than their male counterparts, Victorian premier says

Here’s more from the Victorian premier, Ben Carroll:

We just acknowledged 14 years since Julia Gillard’s powerful misogyny speech, and I was then thinking too about Premier Allan and some of the billboards and misogyny she faced … The federal minister for small business, Anne Aly, has had 19 death threats in one week. If that is not alarm bells for everyone … we need to step up, do more.

Asked by host Raf Esptein if he was told there was a link between online misogyny and this alleged attack, Carroll replied: “No, I have not been told that … I think we need to let the investigations take place.”

Carroll said he would be attending a briefing with the Victoria police chief commissioner, Mike Bush, representatives from Asio and the AFP and Anthony Albanese later today.

He said he would also work with the Victorian electoral commissioner and Victoria police to bolster security as the state heads toward a November election.

Carroll said he had spoken with the Victorian Greens, s and opposition leader, as well as local member Tim McCurdy.

Victorian premier urges focus on online hate and misogyny

The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, says he was “shocked and sickened” to hear the news of the attack last night and described Helen Haines as a “rare flower in public life” who has dedicated her life to caring for others.

Asked by ABC radio host Raf Epstein if he was surprised, Carroll says:

This act of violence is just unfathomable that it’s occurred in Australia … Let’s put an action plan together. Let’s look at online hate. Let’s look at misogyny. Let’s look at the targeting of female representatives.

Carroll says while law enforcement agencies need to do their work, he believes there’s “no doubt” we are living in a “more polarised” world driven by algorithms.

In this post-fact information system, there are no consequences for what goes on on online platforms. I’ve complained to Meta and X, and I just get the email back [saying] there’s no breach of any duties there. People can put up continuously misinformation and disinformation online, and there’s no consequences.

Sophie Scamps says Haines ‘an inspiration to all of us’

Independent MP Sophie Scamps, who holds the Sydney seat of Mackellar, told ABC RN Haines would advocate for her community in the “strongest but most respectful way”.

She does it with this immense grace. And I’ll even just note like Monique [Ryan] when we [independents] all first got elected back in 2022, made these T-shirts ‘What would Helen do?’

She is an inspiration to all of us because of the grace and humour with which she holds herself.

Safety ‘getting worse’ in lead-up to Victorian state election, state MP says

Here’s more from s Victorian state MP Tim McCurdy, whose electorate covers Wangaratta:

It’s certainly getting worse with a state election but, I mean, that has no boundaries.

Helen being a federal MP, she’s not tied up in this state election at all.

But certainly the heat certainly is in the community – all communities – as this election is coming up.

Asked by ABC News Breakfast about the issues igniting the political heat, McCurdy says renewables are a significant concern.

People aren’t anti-renewable in this area but they are anti- the fact that we don’t have a say, and farmers and communities don’t have a say about what’s happening in their community.

Guardian Australia’s Victorian state correspondent, Benita Kolovos, has written about renewables ahead of the election.

I’m going to hand you over to my colleague Kat Wong now, who will take you through the rest of this morning’s updates.

Haines in critical but stable condition after being rammed twice in alleged attack: Burke

The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, says Helen Haines was twice rammed in the alleged attack in Wangaratta on Monday.

Speaking on ABC radio, Burke said the Indi MP remains in a critical but stable condition on Tuesday morning.

He said:

What witnesses have described is the driver doing a U-turn to get into the car park and to ram Helen against a vehicle, then to reverse and do it a second time.

A bystander ran towards the scene, got the driver out of the vehicle and held the driver until police arrived. And I think every Australian is grateful for those moments when a hero like this runs towards the most dangerous place.

Wangaratta, the rural city in which the incident occurred last night, is a tight-knit community in north-east Victoria. Wangaratta city proper had about 20,000 people at the last census, while the broader LGA had just under 30,000.

Located on the flatlands at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers, it’s rural centre servicing the wine and produce region of north-east Victoria such as Milawa, Beechworth and the King Valley, and a gateway to the mountains.

Suspect to be interviewed by police this morning

Police expect to interview the suspect in the alleged attack on MP Helen Haines this morning, acting superintendent Ashley Mason has said, speaking just now to ABC News Breakfast.

Wangaratta mayor praises ‘brave’ local barber who stepped in

The mayor of Wangaratta, Irene Grant, has expressed gratitude to the “brave” bystander – a local barber – who stepped in to apprehend the alleged attacker.

Speaking to RN, Grant said:

I spoke to the barber this morning and he just shrugged his shoulders. He seemed to just take it in his stride. This was something that he had to do and he did it.

And he didn’t, he was very modest. He was extraordinarily modest about the very brave action that he took yesterday … he did an amazing job.

Albanese ‘shaken’ by alleged attack on MP

Anthony Albanese said he feels “shaken” after the attack on Haines.

Still speaking on ABC News Breakfast, he said:

The fact that an incident like this can occur is something that does shake all of us … It will have an impact on all Australians, not just members of parliament.

Albanese said while “it’s about Helen today and her recovery”, he expected “the debate about political discourse and the way we conduct ourselves will, of course, be ongoing”.

The prime minister will be briefed later this morning on the investigation into the attack.

He described Haines as:

[Characterised] by her kindness, her compassion, her diligence, her intelligence. She’s someone who is very passionate about advocating for the interests of north Victoria.

She’s someone who … was widely respected right across the political spectrum because the way that she advocates is very respectable.