As it happened: Independent MP Helen Haines critically injured after attack outside office

That concludes our live coverage for tonight of the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines.

You can find our latest coverage here.

Australia’s domestic spy agency has been warning about the threat of politically motivated violence for several years now.

“Political differences, political debates and political protests are essential parts of a healthy democracy,” ASIO Director-General of Security Mike Burgess said in the 2025 Lowy Lecture.

“Unfortunately, here and overseas, levels of personal grievance and frustration are growing.

“Rightly or wrongly some Australians feel dispossessed, disaffected, disenfranchised. There are spikes in polarisation and intolerance.”

It’s important to note authorities have stressed they don’t know the motivation behind the alleged attack on Helen Haines. But Albanese called it a “deliberate act”.

The prime minister was asked earlier if he felt enough had been done to protect politicians against this rise in political anger.

“Well, there’s been a considerable increase in resources, and that’s done on a risk basis,” he told 7.30.

Read more

Spy chief warns of 'disruptive, destructive' Chinese espionage threat

Victorian Senator Raff Ciccone is “shocked and gutted by the horrific and senseless” alleged attack.

“Helen is widely respected for her dedication to her community of Indi. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and staff,” he said, on social media.

“No one should face violence for serving their community.“

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson expressed her “profound shock and sadness about this horrific incident”.

“The reported circumstances are incredibly disturbing and difficult to comprehend,” she said, on social media.

“I stand with the Indi community in north-east Victoria, and Australians everywhere, to pray for Helen’s recovery and to condemn political violence in all its forms.”

Former senator for South Australia Rex Patrick posted simply “please please be ok”.

Security footage obtained by 9News appears to show a white Toyota Landcruiser near the office of independent federal MP Helen Haines before the alleged attack.

Police believe a white Toyota Landcruiser hit the 65-year-old on Murphy Street in Wangaratta just before 4pm and confirmed she suffered critical injuries.

ABC host Patricia Karvelas said that Haines had been heading into her office to set up for an interview on her show this afternoon before the attack.

“I’m personally quite affected by this story because the reason she was unpacking her car, as has been reported, is that she was making her way into her office to do a Zoom interview with my programme,” she told the ABC.

Haines had been scheduled to speak about the National Anti-Corruption Commission, a body she had fought for politically, after a new commissioner was named earlier today.

But her office called the ABC to inform the broadcaster that something had happened.

“There’s been something very serious that’s happened. She cannot come on,” her office told the ABC.

Karvelas said the attack was horrific and stopped her from doing a fundamental part of her role as a federal politician.

“This afternoon, she couldn’t do the interview of explaining to Australia what she fought for because she was brutally attacked,” she said.

“It’s horrific and I’m quite upset by it, obviously, because I think that’s such a fundamental part of what politicians do.”

The alleged attack has sparked questions about the safety of MPs and whether they’ll need to change how they interact with voters.

Nationals MP Sam Birrell, whose electorate borders Haines’ seat of Indi, said it had “sent shockwaves through all of the MPs I’ve spoken too.

“Wangaratta, it’s not a controversial place, she’s not a controversial person, she’s highly respected by me and everyone across the political aisle, and in her electorate,” he told the ABC.

Birrell said he expected there would be “a little bit of a shake-up” to how politicians deal with the public.

Albanese earlier said it was an “important part of our democracy” for politicians to be able to engage with people in their community.

“I don’t want to see a political system in which you can’t have conversations with people at the supermarket, in the street, at street meetings, public forums,” he said.

Fellow Independent MP Allegra Spender said she will seek a better understanding from the government about the broader threats to politicians.

She also called on politicians to follow Haines’ example and lead on issues like integrity and culture.

“I think there’s a job for all politicians in terms of how we speak to each other,” she told 730.

“I think we do not lead by example now in terms of how we discuss, how we speak, how we behave in parliament.

“But this is something that is up to all of us because, you know, people like Helen, they’re exactly the sort of people you want in parliament.”

Like Albanese, Spender pointed to social media as part of the problem.

She said it seemed to have become a place “where hate is OK and abuse is OK”.

“This is where we need to pull back because, you know … not all hate leads to violence, but we know that violence starts with hate,” she said.

Anthony Albanese called for the social and political temperature to cool down months before the attack on Haines.

In June, he appeared in the Parliament House courtyard when former Victorian premier Jacinta Allan was targeted by a “ditch the witch” ad campaign.

At the time, he warned of a potential tragedy.

“What I don’t want to do is to have a press conference in this courtyard after a tragedy,” he said in June. 

Albanese reflected on that sentiment on Monday, although he would not speculate whether the attack was politically-motivated.

“We have made a range of comments—I have made them. Go look up the interviews in which I’ve called for the temperature to be turned down when it comes to political discourse,” he said.

Albanese said he wasn’t aware of any personal threats to Haines.

“Now’s not a time to speculate on the motivation. Now’s the time to address the facts,” he said.

Albanese said he’d spoken with Victorian Premier Ben Carroll and briefed Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, who’d offered his support.

“I do think that we need people in positions [of power] to join in the call to turn that temperature down,” he said.

“We can have political debate in a respectful way. We can have differences.

“They should be debated out in a democracy, but they shouldn’t be the subject of personal rancour and the calling into people’s motivation where it’s not appropriate to do so.”