Australian independent MP Helen Haines is struck by a vehicle outside her Wangaratta office

19 October 2026

Helen Haines, 65, the independent federal member for the Victorian seat of Indi and a former nurse and midwife, was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser outside her office in Wangaratta, about 200 km northwest of Melbourne, on Monday 19 October 2026. She underwent surgery overnight and remains in a critical condition in a Melbourne hospital. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the act was deliberate and that the motive is unknown. A man is in police custody, identified by local media as a 43-year-old from Victoria. A barber, Ricky Jefferies, restrained him. The Australian Federal Police described it as an isolated incident and said no further threats were known, with federal and state police working to identify potential charges, including causing harm to a Commonwealth public official.