# Australian MP critically injured in car ramming

> Independent lawmaker Helen Haines struck by vehicle outside her office in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a deliberate attack.
- Title: Australian MP critically injured in car ramming · Al Jazeera
- Summary: Independent lawmaker Helen Haines struck by vehicle outside her office in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a deliberate attack. Australian MP…
- Keywords: helen haines, wangaratta, car ramming, anthony albanese, australian parliament, independent mp, news, world, politics, Australian, critically, injured
- Source: Al Jazeera — https://aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/19/australian-mp-helen-haines-critically-injured-in-deliberate-car-ramming?traffic_source=rss
- Author: Al Jazeera Staff
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: helen haines, wangaratta, car ramming, anthony albanese, australian parliament, independent mp, news, world, politics
## MP struck outside her office
Independent lawmaker Helen Haines is in critical condition after being struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV outside her office in Wangaratta, some two hundred kilometres northwest of Melbourne.
## Prime Minister calls it deliberate
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told national broadcaster ABC on Monday that the incident was not an accident. This wasn't an accident. There was a deliberate act, he said.

> This wasn't an accident. There was a deliberate act.
## Driver apprehended with knife
Civilians apprehended a forty-three-year-old male driver and handed him over to police, who found a knife in his car. The alleged attacker's motive remains unknown and Australia's counterterrorism squad has been activated.
## Rising threats against politicians
The attack comes after federal police documented a steady rise in threats and abuse directed towards Australian politicians in recent years. Albanese said the temperature has increased in recent times, citing hostile social media comments.
## Key takeaway

Australian MP Helen Haines is in critical condition after being struck by a car outside her Wangaratta office in what authorities say was a deliberate attack.