This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. An Australian politician is in a critical condition after she was struck by a car in an apparently deliberate act, prime minister Anthony Albanese said. Federal independent legislator Helen Haines, 65, was struck by a Toyota Landcruiser SUV outside her electoral district office in the city of Wangaratta in Victoria state. Mr Albanese said the national counter-terrorism team, incorporating police and intelligence agencies, is investigating. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp: “This wasn’t an accident. There was a deliberate act, it would appear. We don’t know what the motivation is. ”
Police did not identify the victim, in accordance with privacy policy, but Ms Haines’ family confirmed her identity in a media statement. The 43-year-old driver was detained at the scene by a passer-by. He will be interviewed in relation to the incident, police said. “A knife was located by police and seized from inside the Toyota,” officers said. “At this stage, police are investigating as to whether this was an intentional act. ”
Ms Haines, who was first elected to the Australian parliament in 2019, was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, police said. The episode has renewed safety concerns for Australian legislators, in a country where politicians have historically been highly accessible to the public and usually go about their business without security officers present. But public incitement against officials is growing. Authorities are concerned that there were more than 1,000 threats of violence against public figures in Australia in the past year and that being in public office has become more dangerous.