Car crashes into Australian MP: She was not an enemy, but Helen Haines was still a victim

Australian MP Helen Haines stood behind her car parked outside her constituency office in the town of Wangaratta on Monday afternoon. Then a white SUV drove past, turned abruptly and sped towards the 65-year-old. Then, according to eyewitness accounts, the car backed up and hit Haines again. In the end she was crushed between two vehicles and critically injured.

Passers-by were able to overpower the driver, take a knife from him and hand him over to the police. Haines was flown by helicopter to the metropolis of Melbourne, 200 kilometers to the southwest, where doctors had to amputate her leg. According to media reports, it is still unclear whether the second leg can be saved. Her condition is considered critical.

Many Australians reacted with shock and wondered how the incident could be classified. A tragic accident, a targeted attack? This was “not an accident,” said Social Democrat Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. It was a “conscious attack”.

The independent and non-partisan MP Haines is extremely popular. She is the mother of three children and lives on a farm. Her political opponents also appreciate her for her constructive, committed and principled nature.

She used to be a nurse and midwife, then she received her doctorate in Sweden and was elected to parliament for the first time in 2019. She was re-elected in 2022 and 2025. In addition to health, she campaigned for climate protection and the fight against corruption. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described her not only as “extremely intelligent”, but also as having great integrity and as a “thoroughly decent person”.

The police believe it was a lone perpetrator, but they are still puzzling over the 43-year-old's motive. He is scheduled to appear before the magistrate on Wednesday. His parents issued a statement on Tuesday. Haines has been a good friend of the family for more than 20 years. An Instagram photo shows the mother and the MP together in front of a hospital. The parents praised Haines highly, calling the act “destructive” and “unfathomable.” They indicated problem with the son who lives in a neighboring town.

The perpetrator is described in the Australian media as an environmental activist who successfully fought for a ban on logging with an environmental group before the corona pandemic. He is also said to have praised Haines. The ABC radio station evaluated the man's social media postings and interviewed neighbors. One person expressed suspicion of psychological problems and that he had called the police several times because of his irritating behavior.

In Australia, the case is being compared to that of British Labor MP Jo Cox. She was stabbed shortly before the Brexit referendum in 2016 by a man with connections to the neo-Nazi scene. The Haines case has also sparked debate about the dangers posed to public officials and public figures. Last year, more than 1,000 threats of violence against public figures were registered by the police in Australia. There are complaints about a toxic domestic political climate. Prime Minister Albanese also blames social media, for which his government was the first in the world to introduce a lower age limit.