By Alasdair Pal
SYDNEY, Oct 19 (Reuters) – Australian lawmaker Helen Haines was in a critical condition on Monday after being deliberately struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, police and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Victoria Police said a 43-year-old man had been arrested after the attack on independent MP Haines in Wangaratta, around three hours’ drive northeast of Melbourne.
Haines, 65, was airlifted to hospital, Albanese said.
“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,” Albanese told a press conference.
Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason told a press conference there was no further threat to the public.
Albanese said it was too early to determine the motive for the attack, though a terrorism taskforce would be investigating the arrested suspect.
“We thank the swift assistance of bystanders and the dedicated health workers who assisted her, and police for their response,” a statement by Haines’ family posted on her Facebook page said.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney and Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Saad Sayeed)
