Australian MP remains fighting for her life after ‘losing a leg’ in car attack outside her office, Prime Minister reveals

An Australian MP is fighting for her life in hospital and has reportedly lost a leg after being deliberately struck by a car outside her electoral office.

Helen Haines, a centrist independent in the state of Victoria in south-eastern Australia, was hit by a white Toyota Land Cruiser in Wangaratta at around 3.30pm local time on Monday as she retrieved belongings from the boot of her vehicle.

The 65-year-old mother-of-three and grandmother has undergone surgery at hospital for her ‘severe’ lower body injuries but remains in a critical condition, with reports circulating that she could have lost both legs.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese confirmed that a 43-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the incident and that the country’s counter-terror and security services were conducting investigations. 

A local barber has been praised for running to Ms Haines’ ‘defence’ when he saw the collision outside his shop, which was next to the MP’s office.

Father-of-three Ricky Jefferies pulled the man from the driver’s seat of the vehicle and wrestled him to the ground.

He then found a flick knife in the man’s pocket, which he kicked away and held the suspect down until police arrived. The arrested man will be interviewed later today, Victoria Police said.

An emotional Mr Albanese told ABC: ‘This wasn’t an accident. There was a deliberate act, it would appear.’

Australian MP Helen Haines has lost a leg after she was ‘deliberately’ hit by an SUV in Victoria, southeastern Australia, on Monday

The driver of a white 1997 model Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series Troop Carrier has been arrested in connection with the crash

Reports suggest that the driver passed Ms Haines before performing a U-turn and crashing into her, pinning her under the car. The motive for the alleged attack is unclear. 

Mr Albanese told Sunrise on Tuesday morning (AEDT): ‘I spoke with [Ms Haines’] husband Phil last night, and she underwent surgery last night.

‘All of Australians’ thoughts are with the family, with her many friends, with her community. Helen Haines is someone of integrity.

‘She’s greatly admired right across the political spectrum. She’s someone who’s characterised by her kindness, her diligence, her intelligence, someone who is so proud of representing that beautiful part of Victoria.

‘And this is a tragic situation, and our thoughts are with her this morning and today, and we hope for a full recovery.’

However, Mr Albanese said despite ‘this dark and terrible time’ there was an ‘element of light’ through the courageous actions of ‘Good Samaritan’ Mr Jeffries.

‘That person is a hero today,’ he said.

‘And I just think that he deserves enormous praise and thanks for his intervention, which could have prevented even more further infliction of damage, which was aimed at Helen,’ the PM added.

Mr Jeffries’ sister told local media: ‘Richard overpowered him, searched him and found a knife in his pocket and threw it away. And then took him to the ground.’ 

The force is now investigating whether the attack was intentional and added that it is not yet known whether Ms Haines and her alleged attacker knew each other.

The incident is believed to be isolated and the public have been reassured that they face no further threat. 

Ms Haines was allegedly struck by the Land Cruiser while unloading her car boot

Emergency services parked outside Ms Haines’ office in the city of Wangaratta, Victoria, which is around a three-hour drive north-east of Melbourne

Australian PM Anthony Albanese said that a 43-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the incident 

Ms Haines and her husband Phil at a Midwinter Ball in 2024 at Parliament House in Canberra

Ms Haines was elected as an MP for Victoria in 2019 and previously worked in healthcare before turning to politics. 

The MP’s family praised the ‘swift assistance’ of bystanders for their ‘beloved Helen’, police and medical workers in a statement following the incident.

‘Our family, and Helen’s staff, will be making no further comment at this time, and ask that their privacy be respected by the public and media. Please keep Helen in your thoughts,’ they said.

The PM told a press conference that he had spoken with Victoria’s state leader Ben Carroll, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, but said that it was ‘too early’ to provide more details. 

Australia’s home affairs minister Tony Bourke noted that in 2024 there were 951 reports of harassing and threatening behaviour against politicians, but that this number rose to 1,067 in the last year.

He said: ‘Our thoughts are all with Helen, her family, her community and her friends.’

Speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 show, Mr Albanese reiterated his earlier calls to ‘turn the temperature down’ in political discourse.

Mr Albanese added that he wasn’t aware of any threats made toward Ms Haines in the lead up to the incident.

‘They’ll be checking on the history of the person who is in custody… trying to establish a motivation… they are very professional [and] they have my complete faith,’ he said.

Ms Haines’s website states: ‘Through my work as a nurse, midwife and health researcher, I’ve cared for people in our community during some of their most important moments.

‘I’m not beholden to a political party and call out bad decisions, no matter who made them. 

‘I fight for you and work to get results for our community, even when the going is tough.’

Australian opposition leader Angus Taylor said it was a ‘shocking day for the nation’ and that he was personally praying for Ms Haines.

He said: ‘No one should be targeted in this way. Australians will be angry and appalled by the attack on Helen outside her electorate office in Wangaratta

‘Our nation cannot become a place where violent attacks are normalised. I’ve spoken with the prime minister, and we are united in our view that political violence must never be accepted as part of public life.’ 

The area where the incident happened on Monday in Victoria’s High Country is just half an hour from Porepunkah. 

It is a small community which made national headlines in August last year when local man Dezi Freeman shot and killed two police officers before going on the run for months.

While there is no confirmation as to the motive of Monday’s attack, the area is known to be popular with those pursuing off-the-grid and ‘sovereign citizen’ lifestyles.

Freeman, who had railed against what he saw as police corruption, shot two officers who were trying to serve him with a warrant in August last year and went on the run for 216 days before the manhunt caught up with him and he was killed in a shootout.

It had been reported that the arrested man had been ‘on the radar’ of police.