Helen Haines allegedly struck by car as Victorian MPs report fear for their safety
A man has been charged after federal independent MP Helen Haines was allegedly struck by a car in Wangaratta, in regional Victoria. Police charged the man after the alleged attack, which the Guardian has reported as carried out by a constituent.
Haines is the federal independent member for Indi, an electorate in the north-east of the state. According to the ABC, she was in critical but stable condition after the attack. The alleged attack happened near her electorate office. A car allegedly did a U-turn and hit her twice, and she lost a leg as a result of the alleged vehicle attack. Australia's counterterrorism team was activated after the attack, according to the New York Times. The accused man was expected to appear before the Wangaratta Magistrates' Court.
Some politicians said that extra security would "let bad people win". Their comments followed reports that Haines's response to the alleged attack included tighter security arrangements for her.
Georgie Purcell, a Victorian upper house MP, whose region partly overlaps with Haines's federal electorate, shared a statement on social media on Monday night in support of Haines. Two comments on that post were threatening. One man wrote that he wished the attack had happened to Purcell. Another wrote "You should be scared." Purcell reported both to police. She told the Guardian she is on "high alert", with five weeks to go until the Victorian state election and 10 days of prepoll (early voting) approaching.
Nationals MP Annabelle Cleeland represents Euroa, an electorate covering 11,452 square kilometres. Cleeland said that because of threats she shares her live location with her husband and her staff when she is on the road.
More than a dozen Victorian politicians told the ABC they had reported threats directed at MPs, their families and campaign volunteers. MPs across the political spectrum, most of them women, have said threats to their safety rose during Victoria's long Covid lockdowns and have stayed constant since.
The pandemic period included a mock execution on the front steps of the Victorian parliament, carried out on an effigy of then-premier Daniel Andrews amid debate over pandemic laws. In 2025, at the Bush Summit, Premier Jacinta Allan was heckled throughout her speech. One audience member stood on a chair with a noose around their neck.
