Австралийн бие даасан гишүүн Хелен Хэйнс халдлагад өртөж, биеийн байдал хүнд байна

New Zealand PM offers thoughts and prayers for Haines

New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, described the alleged attack on Helen Haines as a “terrible set of circumstances” and said he had corresponded with his counterpart, Anthony Albanese.

[This is] a concerning development in Australia for sure.

Luxon said he was not concerned a similar alleged attack would take place in New Zealand, which will hold its general election in November. The country had found a balance between keeping politicians accessible to the public and had lifted security efforts in recent years, he said.

The Asio director-general, Mike Burgess, has acknowledged the “horrific” alleged attack on Helen Haines.

In a statement, Burgess said:

Victoria Police are working to establish the motivation for this attack, including whether the incident was politically motivated.

Elevated levels of grievance, intolerance and polarisation continue to create a permissive environment of violence.

I have repeatedly put on the record my concern about the use of violent rhetoric in public discourse.

Words matter.

He noted the incident involving Haines occurred in an environment where politically motivated violence has been more likely than in previous years:

By all means disagree, but consider how you disagree. By all means protest, but consider how you protest. By all means criticise elected officials, but consider how you criticise elected officials.

Politically motivated violence was among Australia’s principal security concerns when Asio raised the national terrorism threat level in August 2024, Burgess said.

Press pack waits outside of The Alfred

Outside The Alfred in Melbourne’s inner south-east, where Helen Haines underwent surgery last night, it is fairly quiet.

Runners and people walking dogs are making their way through the nearby park.

Out the front of the hospital, there’s a growing press pack with TV reporters doing crosses to the morning news shows.

The hospital has not indicated whether there will be a press conference this morning, but we will update you if and when it happens.

Earlier, the hospital said Haines remains in a critical condition.

Senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe says Helen Haines is a “genuinely lovely person” and shared her own concerns about her safety as a parliamentarian.

She told ABC Radio Melbourne host Raf Epstein:

If people like Helen Haines are being [allegedly] attacked, then no one’s safe.

Thorpe says she has received abuse since being elected MP for the Victorian state seat of Northcote back in 2017. She says she worries for her personal safety daily and reveals that she sometimes wears a disguise when in public.

Thorpe adds says she has previously been told by the AFP not to go home because it was too unsafe.

To see other politicians being [allegedly] attacked like this, it’s like, where do we cross the line? What kind of country are we becoming with so much hate?

The Main Street of Wangaratta is quiet, aside from a large media throng outside MP Helen Haines’ office. The front door is starting to fill up with cards and flowers as community members leave messages for a quick recovery.

Local barber Ricky Jefferies, whose shop is next door to Haines’ office, had just finished cutting a young family’s hair when the car hit Haines at about 3.30pm on Monday. He said there was a loud crash and he ran to help. He said:

A lot of people got involved immediately, and they didn’t even check the danger; they just ran to help.

The driver was still in the car, the car was still on, and … a man sat in front of the moving car.

I had no choice but to take him out of the car because it was the right and safest thing to do.

Jefferies said he held the man down, telling him he couldn’t leave, but he would be alright, trying to calm him down while others helped Haines. Jefferies alleged he had a knife on him, which he took off.

He [allegedly] did have a knife. He didn’t pull it out. Basically just … took it out of his pocket and threw it away.

Jefferies, who was back at work cutting hair at 7am on Tuesday, said he doesn’t want to be seen as a hero, and that like all of the community, he is praying Haines recovers quickly.

No one’s job should put them at risk. I can tell you from my own personal dealings that she is a genuine, kind person.

Democracy Counts organisation ‘deeply saddened’ by incident

The independent organisation Democracy Counts, whose work focuses on driving independence, integrity and transparency in politics, is “shocked and deeply saddened” by the news that Helen Haines has been critically injured.

Our democracy only works if decent people with character, commitment, compassion and capability are willing to put their hand up to serve their communities by representing them. If this incident is shown to have been a politically motivated attack, it will be an attack on democracy itself.

We must do more to ensure parliamentarians are safe in their work, and reflect on the culture that is driving dangerously undemocratic behaviour.

Mark Butler calls for greater tolerance in political life

Here’s more from the federal health minister, Mark Butler, who spoke to Sunrise about a “huge increase in hate and intolerance” in public commentary:

It’s not just here in Australia, we’re seeing this around the world, but that hate could turn into violence.

There have been warnings about this for some time now: the need to turn the temperature down and for us all to be a little bit more tolerant of each other.

The health minister, Mark Butler, has told the Today show that “it’s hard to imagine a more gentle, compassionate, decent member of parliament than Helen”.

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her raise her voice, and I can’t say that about many MPs. The debate can be very vigorous, but from Helen it’s always incredibly respectful.

Butler said given her experience as a nurse and midwife, along with her doctorate in public health, he works with Haines more than many other of his parliamentary colleagues and values her expertise.

I can only imagine the shock and distress that Helen’s family are feeling right now as they wait for news about her surgery overnight, also her community, her staff, her friends.

This is incredibly confronting, and we’re all waiting for what we hope will be positive news about Helen’s very serious injuries.

Independent Jacqui Lambie pays tribute to Haines

Jacqui Lambie has issued a statement about Helen Haines this morning:

I echo the sentiments of my colleagues when I say that Helen Haines is truly the best of us.

My heart goes out to Helen’s family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

We are all praying for her speedy recovery.

Here are some of the developments we’ve heard since this morning:

• The federal independent MP for Indi, Helen Haines, is in a critical condition after being struck by a car outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria, at about 3.35pm on Monday.

• She has been taken to Melbourne’s Alfred hospital, where she underwent surgery overnight.

• 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.

• Police are expected to interview the suspect in the alleged attack this morning.

• A local barber has been praised for stepping in to apprehend the alleged attacker.

• Politicians across the political spectrum including the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, and fellow independents have sent well-wishes to Haines.