The man accused of attacking Helen Haines allegedly made a U-turn before ramming the independent MP twice in what some believed may be a targeted attack near her electorate office, according to eyewitnesses. The independent MP remains in a critical condition after being airlifted from Wangaratta in northern Victoria to Melbourne’s Alfred hospital for emergency surgery on Monday night. A 43-year-old Tarrawingee man alleged to have driven the Toyota Land Cruiser was arrested at the scene.
Police were expected to interview the suspect in the attack on Tuesday, Acting Supt Ashley Mason said. The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said witnesses alleged the driver completed a U-turn before the incident. Jefferies, who returned to work on Tuesday morning, alleged the driver had a knife on him.
On Monday Burke reported that there had been 1,067 reports of harassment or threats against high office holders in Australia in the last financial year, an increase from 951 the year before. The mayor of Wangaratta, Irene Grant, expressed gratitude to Jeffries for stepping in to stop the man. He seemed to just take it in his stride.
This was something that he had to do and he did it,” she said. At the last census it had a population of about 20,000 people, while the broader LGA had just under 30,000. Haines was elected to federal parliament in 2019 and has been key to the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, as well as campaigning for rural health services, telecommunications access and pushing back on misuse of taxpayer funds, or pork barrelling.
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