Australian MP Helen Haines is in critical condition after being struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday.
According to The Independent, police are treating the incident as a targeted attack and have arrested a 43-year-old man.
Haines, 65, was reportedly unloading her car when a white Toyota Land Cruiser struck her. She was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
Police said a knife was found inside the vehicle, but the motive remains unknown.
Haines is an independent Australian politician who has represented the rural electorate of Indi, north of Melbourne, since 2019.
A former nurse, midwife and academic, she spent three decades working in rural healthcare before entering politics.
She made history in 2019 by becoming the first independent politician to succeed another independent in the same Australian parliamentary seat.
Haines was re-elected in 2022 and 2025 and has campaigned on regional healthcare, housing, climate change and government transparency.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Haines following the attack.
“She’s just a thoroughly decent, respectful human being who is a delight to work with, and her presence in the Parliament adds to it.”
Her family thanked bystanders, medical workers and police for their assistance.
