Australian police charge man over ‘targeted’ attack on lawmaker

SYDNEY – Australian police charged a man on Oct 20 over what they allege was a “targeted” attack with a vehicle on independent lawmaker Helen Haines.

Haines is fighting for her life in a hospital in Melbourne after being struck on Oct 19 near her office in the town of Wangaratta, just over 200km north-east of the Victoria state capital.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led an outpouring of support for Haines, who was widely praised for her efforts to increase transparency in politics and crack down on corruption.

Her attack has also sparked soul-searching in a country where political violence is rare but where police have documented a steady rise in threats and abuse directed towards the nation’s elected officials in recent years.

The independent lawmaker, 65, was getting things from the trunk of her car when she was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser on the afternoon of Oct 19.

The driver had made a U-turn to get back to her after passing, Albanese said on Oct 20.

“It’s clear this was a deliberate act,” he said.

‘Targeted’ attack

Haines was critically injured and underwent surgery overnight at the Alfred hospital in Melbourne.

National broadcaster ABC and The Sydney Morning Herald said that she had lost a leg, with reports indicating she was fighting to keep the other.

The 43-year-old male driver of the vehicle has been identified by Australian media and was reportedly known to police.

He was charged on the evening of Oct 20 with dangerous driving causing serious injury and intentionally causing serious injury, as well as the federal crime of harming a public official, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

“Police will allege the incident was targeted,” Victoria police said.

The man will appear in court in Wangaratta on Oct 21, they said.

A statement released by the charged man’s parents said Haines had been their friend for more than two decades and described Oct 19’s events as “devastating and unfathomable”, The Age newspaper reported.

“We would like to sincerely thank members of the local community and police who came to Helen’s aid yesterday after the shocking and horrific crime,” the statement said.

The alleged attacker was restrained by local barber Ricky Jefferies, now widely hailed as a “hero”.

Jefferies told journalists his first thought had been: “My wife would be disappointed if I’m injured.”

“My family, they’re everything, and my community is second to that,” a visibly shaken Jefferies told journalists.

“The other people here were just, they did so much more than me... they deserve the credit.”

Too heated

The alleged attacker’s motive remains unknown and Albanese has refused to speculate while the investigation takes place.

But he has bemoaned the fact that political debate in Australia had grown too heated and personal over the past few years.

“It’s important in a democracy that people are allowed to have disagreements,” he said.

“But that doesn’t mean that you have to draw into question people’s motivations or their patriotism or who they are.”

“We’ve seen, I think, political discourse go in the wrong direction in recent times,” he said.

Australia’s spy agency chief Mike Burgess said “elevated levels of grievance, intolerance and polarisation continue to create a permissive environment of violence”.

Haines entered Parliament in 2019 after working as a nurse and midwife, becoming known for stances such as supporting stronger climate action.

Tributes to her have poured in from across the political spectrum. AFP