Helen Haines Loses Leg in Alleged Car Attack in Wangaratta

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Helen Haines Loses Leg in Alleged Car Attack in Wangaratta.

Independent Australian MP Helen Haines was seriously injured in an alleged car attack in front of her electorate office in the state of Victoria — in the city of Wangaratta, according to The Guardian. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Haines was “mowed down by a car” and “had her leg amputated.” The Guardian adds that surgeons subsequently fought to save her second leg.

Prime Minister Albanese: “A Deliberate Act”

According to The Guardian, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the driver of the car had made a turn to return to where Haines was standing by her car. “It is very clear that this was a deliberate act,” Albanese said.

It is very clear that this was a deliberate act. This was no accident.

According to The Guardian, the incident occurred while Haines was standing at the boot of her car, retrieving or loading things — the driver had previously passed her on the road but then deliberately turned around to meet her again. “It is clear that this was a deliberate act,” Albanese continued — it was no accident.

Counter-Terrorism Investigation

According to The Guardian, a joint counter-terrorism taskforce is handling the investigation into the incident. The Sydney Morning Herald consistently refers to it as an “alleged deliberate act.” Whether her second leg could be saved was still unclear at the time of reporting by both sources.

Who Is Helen Haines?

Haines represents an electorate in Victoria as an independent MP in the Australian House of Representatives. The Guardian describes her as a “principled MP respected across parliament” — a principled politician who commands respect across party lines in the Australian Parliament. The Guardian has a dedicated section on her political profile under the heading “Helen Haines, the principled MP respected across parliament.”

Reactions From Parliament

According to The Guardian, Prime Minister Albanese expressed his “deeply appalled” reaction. Politicians from across the spectrum condemned the alleged attack. The Guardian groups the reactions under the heading “‘Deeply appalled’: politicians condemn alleged attack after Helen Haines critically injured” and describes the MP's condition as critically injured.