A 43-year-old man has been arrested after Australian MP Helen Haines was rammed twice by a car in what has been described as a deliberate attack. The 65-year-old independent MP is in a critical but stable condition following emergency surgery.
Police said Ms Haines was hit by a 4x4 while she placed items in the boot of her own car in Wangaratta, rural Victoria, on Monday afternoon (October 19). She was taken to hospital in Melbourne, where she underwent emergency surgery overnight. The arrested man, from nearby Tarrawingee, will be questioned by police in the coming hours.
Home Affairs Minister Provides Update
In an update shared on Tuesday morning, home affairs minister Tony Burke said Ms Haines is in a 'critical but stable' condition after the medical procedure. He described how events reportedly unfolded: "What witnesses have described is the driver doing a U-turn to get into the car park and to ram Helen against a vehicle, then to reverse and do it a second time."
Burke also praised a bystander who intervened: "A bystander ran towards the scene, got the driver out of the vehicle and held the driver until police arrived. And I think every Australian is grateful for those moments when a hero like this runs towards the most dangerous place."
Bystander Recalls the Incident
The bystander has been named as barber Ricky Jefferies, whose shop is next door to Haines' office. He recalled the scene to journalists on Tuesday: "I heard a loud bang, it was crazy, I just ran out the front to see what was happening. I did what I could and did what others were trying to do."
He added: "The driver was still in the car, the car was still on, and… a man sat in front of the moving car. I had no choice but to take him out of the car because it was the right and safest thing to do." Jefferies also said he 'took [a knife] out of his pocket and threw it away'.
Prime Minister and Police Respond
Jefferies has been called a 'hero' by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a label he disagreed with. He went on: "I don't think I'm a hero, I'm just somebody who had the opportunity to intervene in a safe-ish way. I was just trying to not get injured and not let anyone else be injured after the initial incident."
Albanese said the incident 'was not an accident' but added 'the motivation is not clear at this time'. Ms Haines has been an independent MP since she was elected. Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason, who personally thanked Jefferies for his actions, also called for any witnesses to come forward to police or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
