Helen Haines: independent MP in critical condition in Melbourne’s Alfred hospital after being struck by car in Wangaratta – follow updates | Australia news

The mayor of Wangaratta, Irene Grant, has expressed gratitude to the “brave” bystander – a local barber – who stepped in to apprehend the alleged attacker.

Speaking to RN, Grant said:

I spoke to the barber this morning and he just shrugged his shoulders. He seemed to just take it in his stride. This was something that he had to do and he did it.

And he didn’t, he was very modest. He was extraordinarily modest about the very brave action that he took yesterday … he did an amazing job.

Albanese ‘shaken’ by alleged attack on MP

Anthony Albanese said he feels “shaken” after the attack on Haines.

Still speaking on ABC News Breakfast, he said:

The fact that an incident like this can occur is something that does shake all of us … It will have an impact on all Australians, not just members of parliament.

Albanese said while “it’s about Helen today and her recovery”, he expected “the debate about political discourse and the way we conduct ourselves will, of course, be ongoing”.

The prime minister will be briefed later this morning on the investigation into the attack.

He described Haines as:

[C]haracterised by her kindness, her compassion, her diligence, her intelligence. She’s someone who is very passionate about advocating for the interests of North Victoria.

She’s someone who … was widely respected right across the political spectrum because the way that she advocates is very respectable.

‘It’s very clear that this was a deliberate act’, PM says

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Haines’ alleged attacker “did a U-turn in order to get back to where Helen Haines was” after passing her on the road.

The PM has been speaking on ABC TV just now. He reiterated that he won’t speculate on motivation of the alleged attacker, but said “it’s very clear that this was a deliberate act.”

He continued:

It would appear that the driver of the vehicle that inflicted the damage to Helen Haines did a U-turn in order to get back to where Helen Haines was after passing where she was getting things from the boot or putting things into the boot of her car.

So it’s clear that there was a deliberate act here, this wasn’t an accident – someone, you know, just getting off the road here.

The motivation is not clear at this time. It’s important we don’t speculate on that, but allow facts to be found, and I’m sure that the police investigation will do that.

Morning folks, Stephanie Convery with you now – I’ll be bringing you live updates here for the next little while.

We’ve just received an update from the Alfred hospital, where Helen Haines underwent surgery last night. A spokesperson said she remains in a critical condition.

Tim McCurdy and David Pocock shocked by alleged attack on Haines

It “beggars belief” that Helen Haines would be involved in an incident like this, Victorian National MP Tim McCurdy told the ABC’s RN this morning.

Helen is just a lovely person and I just cannot for the life of me see how anyone could take offence at Helen and have this attitude towards her. It’s just appalling.

McCurdy says he heard about the incident after the state emergency service called him yesterday to “describe what they could”. McCurdy, whose electorate takes in Wangaratta, where the incident occurred, said he usually feels safe in his local area.

I mean, all MPs, but particularly regional MPs, we make ourselves available to everybody wherever at any time. And this is what’s so hard to believe: that if you can’t walk down the street in Wangaratta or any other regional town like this with the fear of this going on, it’s just shocking.

Speaking to RN, independent senator David Pocock echoed McCurdy’s sentiment.

Spending time with people in our communities is really at the heart of what we do. I’ve done joint events with Helen down in Indi, and you see hundreds of people wanting to come and talk about what matters to them.

Pocock said people were generally respectful at public events towards MPs but that he had noticed “an uptick in very angry people calling my office”.

I’ve had staff in tears having to deal with some of the abuse that they copped.

Albanese says MPs’ security a balancing act

Asked if security would be stepped up after the attack, Albanese said he doesn’t want politicians to lose the ability to engage with their communities.

We take the advice of the security agencies, including, of course, the Australian federal police, you know, and we act upon that advice, but I never want to lose the opportunity for people to mix with their representatives.

That’s a really important part of our democracy. But we continue to take advice.

He added: “I think we can have disagreements without questioning people’s motives or their patriotism.”

PM urges reduction in temperature of political debate

Anthony Albanese says Australians need to turn down the temperature of political and public debate.

All of us are responsible for that. Whether we’re politicians, whether we’re the media, whether we’re citizens, in just being able to discuss things in a civil way.

We can have disagreements in a democracy.

Anthony Albanese says the Indi MP, Helen Haines, is still in a critical condition on Tuesday morning, after undergoing surgery last night.

He says Monday’s attack was a deliberate attempt to harm the independent MP.

Albanese has told Seven that he spoke with Haines’ husband, Phil, last night, in the hours after the attack.

A man remains in police custody.

The prime minister is speaking on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program this morning.

He says he will be briefed by police on the investigation into the alleged attack on Helen Haines later this morning, alongside the Victorian premier, Ben Carroll.

At this stage its not clear what that motivation was.

But he alleged: “It is clear that this wasn’t just an accident – this was an attempt to harm Helen Haines outside Wangaratta at her electorate office. Helen was getting things from the boot of her car when this incident occurred.”

He said:

This is a tragic situation.

Our thoughts are with her this morning and today and we hope for a full recovery.

First of all let’s set out what we know so far about what happened in Wangaratta yesterday.

• Helen Haines has been critically injured in an alleged attack involving a car outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, regional Victoria, at about 3.35pm on Monday.

• The independent MP was taken to Melbourne’s Alfred hospital and underwent surgery overnight. She remains in a critical condition.

• A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee is in custody, and the alleged attack is being investigated by the Australian federal police, Asio and the joint counter-terror taskforce. The motive is not yet known. A knife was allegedly found in his car after he was detained by a passerby when he got out of his vehicle.

• Anthony Albanese, Angus Taylor, the Greens leader, David Shoebridge, the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, and politicians across the parliament have sent their thoughts and well wishes to Haines and her family.

• In a press conference on Monday evening, Albanese described Haines, who has represented Indi since 2019, as a “thoroughly decent human being, full of integrity and respected right across parliament”.

• Addressing the media in Wangaratta on Monday evening, acting supt Ashley Mason said police were still investigating whether the incident was targeted. He said there was no ongoing threat to the community and nothing to indicate the parties were known to each other.

More detail here:

Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the alleged attack on the independent MP for Indi, Helen Haines. She is in a critical condition in Melbourne’s Alfred hospital after being struck by a car ourtside her electorate office in Wangaratta yesterday afternoon. A 43-year-old local man is in custody over the incident.

We will have the latest developments and reaction.