Australian MP Helen Haines critically injured in ‘deliberate’ car ramming

Lawmaker was struck by a car outside her office in what Prime Minister ⁠Anthony Albanese called a ‘deliberate act’.An Australian independent lawmaker Helen Haines is in critical condition after ⁠being struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, in what Prime Minister ⁠Anthony Albanese called an attack.“This wasn’t an accident. There was a deliberate act,” Albanese told national broadcaster ABC on Monday. “All of our thoughts are with Helen, her family, her friends, her team and her community at this extremely difficult time. We are praying for her full recovery.”Police said a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV struck Haines outside her office in Wangaratta, some 200km (124 miles) northwest of Melbourne.The 65-year-old “suffered what has been described as critical injuries”, Ashley Mason, Victoria police’s acting superintendent, said, without identifying the victim in line with police custom in Australia.Mason added that civilians apprehended a 43-year-old male driver and handed him over to police, who found a knife in his car.The attack comes after the federal police documented a steady rise in threats and abuse directed towards the nation’s politicians in recent years. Politicians have historically been highly accessible to the public and usually go about their business without security.Albanese said on Monday that “the temperature has increased in recent times”.“I’ve expressed that concern to people in the media,” he said. “If you look at anyone’s social media feeds and look at the comments, people will say things that they would never say face to face.”The prime minister said the alleged attacker’s motive remained unknown, with Australia’s counterterrorism squad activated.