What happened in Wangaratta
Helen Haines, the independent federal member for Indi, was struck by a vehicle twice in Wangaratta on Monday and remained in a critical but stable condition at Melbourne's Alfred hospital on Tuesday morning, according to the home affairs minister, Tony Burke. Burke, speaking on ABC radio, said witnesses described the driver making a U-turn to enter a car park and pinning Haines against a vehicle before reversing and hitting her a second time.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S8]
A bystander ran to the scene, pulled the driver from the vehicle and restrained him until police arrived. A 43-year-old man was arrested, and counter-terrorism officers were activated, the prime minister said. Police expected to interview the suspect on Tuesday morning, acting superintendent Ashley Mason told ABC News Breakfast. Haines underwent surgery overnight, and a hospital spokesperson confirmed she was still critical.[S1][S7]
Wangaratta is a rural city of about 20,000 people at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers in north-east Victoria, serving wine and produce districts such as Milawa, Beechworth and the King Valley and acting as a gateway to the mountains. The wider local government area had just under 30,000 residents at the last census.[S1]
A deliberate act, and a local rescuer
Prime minister Anthony Albanese said the driver passed Haines, who was loading or unloading the boot of her car, then turned around to return to where she stood. He said it was plainly a deliberate act rather than a road accident, while stressing that the motivation was not yet known and should not be guessed at. He said he would be briefed on the investigation later in the morning.[S1]
Wangaratta's mayor, Irene Grant, thanked the bystander, a local barber, describing him as extraordinarily modest about a very brave action. Grant said she had spoken with him that morning and that he had shrugged it off as something he had to do.[S1]
Reaction across the political spectrum
Albanese said the incident had left him shaken and would affect Australians beyond parliament, describing Haines as kind, compassionate, diligent and intelligent, and as widely respected across the political divide for the way she advocates for north Victoria. Victorian Nationals MP Tim McCurdy, whose electorate includes Wangaratta, said he found it hard to believe anyone could take offence at Haines, and that regional MPs make themselves available to everyone at any time.[S1]
Independent senator David Pocock, who has held joint events with Haines in Indi, said meeting constituents is central to the job and that he had noticed more very angry people calling his office, with staff reduced to tears by abuse. Albanese said he did not want politicians to lose the ability to mix with their communities, that security advice would continue to be followed, and that disagreements should not involve questioning people's motives or patriotism.[S1]
