Lawmaker Haines Remains Critical After Overnight Surgery; PM Says Attacker's Car Made a U-Turn
Wangaratta — Australian independent lawmaker Helen Haines underwent surgery overnight and remained in critical condition, Reuters reported. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC News on Tuesday, Australian time, that the car that struck Haines had performed a U-turn before hitting her, describing the incident as clearly a deliberate act rather than a vehicle skidding off the road.
Albanese said early investigations suggested the car hit Haines as she was loading or unloading items from the trunk of her car. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that witnesses said the alleged attacker reversed the vehicle and struck Haines a second time before a bystander removed him from the car.
Police said the 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was expected to be interviewed on Tuesday morning, that the incident was being treated as isolated, and that counter-terrorism authorities remained among the agencies involved. Albanese said it was too early to determine a motive and noted a significant increase in threats against politicians in recent years.
Haines, 65, has represented the Victorian seat of Indi since 2019 and previously worked in nursing, midwifery and academia. She was struck by a white Toyota LandCruiser outside her Wangaratta electorate office on October 19, suffering severe lower-body injuries. (GSM, via Reuters)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Helen Haines 2022年在选区结果公布活动上讲话（资料照片）。Alison Newman 摄，CC0，取自维基共享资源。Photo: Helen Haines speaking at the Indi results declaration in June 2022 (file photo). By Alison Newman, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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