Helen Haines live updates: Victorian premier ‘deeply appalled’ after Helen Haines injured in alleged attack; Angus Taylor calls incident ‘shocking day for our nation’

A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee is in custody, and the alleged attack is being investigated by the Australian federal police (AFP), 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 exited his vehicle.

The prime minister, the opposition leader, the Greens leader David Shoebridge, One Nation head Pauline Hanson and politicians across the parliament have sent their thoughts and well wishes to Haines and her family. In a snap press conference on Monday evening, Anthony Albanese described Haines, who has represented Indi since 2019, as a “thoroughly decent human being, full of integrity and res

Haines is ‘really inspirational’, says Spender Allegra Spender, who sits on the crossbench with Helen Haines, calls her one of the most outstanding people in parliament. She tells ABC’s 7. 30 Haines interrogates issues thoroughly but with enormous respect. Spender says she found out about the incident from her colleagues. Helen is the best of us. Like, Helen is one of the most outstanding people in parliament.

She’s really inspirational. I often go and talk to her, particularly if I’m looking at regional and rural issues and get her perspective on what her community thinks. But also, you know, … You see her with ministers, for instance. She takes the work incredibly seriously. She interrogates the issues very seriously, but with enormous respect and with a very civilised approach.

Helen Haines ‘is the very best of us’, David Pocock says The independent senator for Canberra, David Pocock, has released a statement of support for Helen Haines. Posting to social media, Pocock said Helen “is the very best of us”. All my love is with Helen, her family, her community and supporting her recovery. Helen represents so much of the values we share as Australians.

At a moment like this we should turn to them more than ever and be sure to take care of one another.

The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, says the incident involving Helen Haines is a “shocking day for our nation”, saying political attacks cannot be normalised in Australia. The Liberal leader said he was “deeply saddened and distressed” and was praying for Helen Haines and her family.

“This is a shocking day for our nation … Australians will be angry and appalled by the [alleged] attack on Helen outside her electorate office in Wangaratta,” he said in a statement on social media. Our nation cannot become a place where violent attacks are normalised.

Taylor said he had spoken with Anthony Albanese and the two leaders were “united in our view that political violence must never be accepted as part of public life”. I hope Helen, her family and her community across north-east Victoria know that Australians right across the country are thinking of them and holding them in their thoughts during this incredibly difficult time.

Albanese says further updates on potential motivations to come Finally, Albanese is asked what we can expect over the next 24 hours. He says he doesn’t want to pre-empt anything, but the public can expect further updates from authorities. We’ll be expecting further updates on the potential motivations. Of course, we have an important legal system to go through. We don’t want to pre-empt any of those matters.

But we’ll be updated on that, and any other advice about further action that should be taken in a broader sense as a result of the incident this afternoon. And the government stands ready to accept that advice … This is an incident that needs a response more broadly, but at the moment, it’s about Helen Haines.

And her family and her friends, her community and we just hope that there’s good news coming there in the very short-term. Albanese reiterates that he has briefed the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, who he says has offered his support.

Haines ‘a delight’ to work with: Albanese If he were to describe Helen Haines in one word, Anthony Albanese says it’s “integrity”. Haines has been a warrior for transparency in parliament and was instrumental in pushing for a national anti-corruption commission. The prime minister pays tribute to Haines: Integrity. She’s someone who is very passionate about her community.

She’s someone who is not shy about coming forward, about what she thinks that community needs. But she’s also someone who plays a role in the parliament. She’s the deputy chair of the NACC committee, looking at the National Anti-Corruption Commission. She’s someone who is always worth listening to, because her motives are good. It doesn’t mean we always agree, but I do always agree that her motives are good.

And she’s just a thoroughly decent, respectful human being who is a delight to work with and her presence in the parliament adds to it.

Albanese says politicians already adjusting to increased security threats Albanese says – as he has many times in the past – that the temperature is too high and needs to be turned down. He points to discourse on social media “people will say things that they would never say face–to–face.” He says he doesn’t want to see politicians no longer able to meet people in their own communities.

Here in Australia, it is a good thing that politicians are able to go about their community and engage with people. I don’t want to see a political system in which you can’t have conversations with people at the supermarket, in the street, at street meetings, public forums. Well, already, you are seeing some adjustment in how people are able to get about.

There’s increased security for parliamentarians and particularly for ministers and people in senior positions. We need to join in the call to turn that temperature down. We can have political debate in a respectful way. We can have differences. They sh

The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, has issued a statement after the alleged attack on Helen Haines. It reads: I am deeply appalled by this [alleged] violent attack on Helen Haines. My thoughts – and the thoughts of all Victorians – are with Helen, her family, her friends, her colleagues and her community. I know how devastating this will be for the Wangaratta community and all those who Helen represents.

Thank you to police, paramedics, firefighters and witnesses for their immediate response. An individual has been apprehended and I thank police for their swift action.

Anthony Albanese says he wasn’t aware of any threats to Helen Haines before today’s incident. He says he won’t speculate on any motive, but that counter-terror authorities are investigating it. We don’t know what motivation is.

So that is the work that’s being undertaken by the Victorian police together with the Australian federal police, but also Asio are engaged, once we’ve established the counter-terrorism taskforce, that was established very quickly after this incident which was in the later hours of this afternoon.

Albanese says authorities will be “checking on the history of the person who is in custody” to try to establish motivation.

Haines’ ‘health issues serious’, Albanese says Anthony Albanese tells the ABC’s 7. 30, this was a “very serious incident” and Helen Haines’ health issues are serious. He says he was initially informed it was a car accident. He then found out it was allegedly targeted and began making calls to police and the Victorian premier. This wasn’t an accident. And the suspect is in custody.

It then came through, the news, that this had occurred. I changed my arrangements. I spoke with the AFP commissioner, Krissy Barrett, who is returning from home from work overseas. I spoke with Ben Carroll. Before this program, I briefed Angus Taylor, the leader of the opposition, who has offered his full support. And we just engaged as well, my office and team, with Helen Haines’ office.

Our thoughts, first and foremost, are just for Helen’s welfare, and we wish her a speedy recovery.

Federal politicians are reacting with shock to the incident involving independent MP Helen Haines, which prime minister Anthony Albanese called an “attack” this evening. Foreign minister Penny Wong posted on social media that: “My thoughts are with [Haines] her loved ones, friends, team and community following this shocking and deeply disturbing attack. We are all hoping for Helen’s full recovery.”

The Greens leader, David Shoebridge, wrote on X: “Horrified to hear of the apparent attack on my friend and colleague Helen Haines. Helen is an extraordinary human being and brings people together like few others. In grief and solidarity wishing her a complete recovery.”

Steph Hodgins-May, the deputy Greens leader, said she was “deeply shocked and saddened to hear reports of an attack on my friend and colleague Helen Haines”. Helen is a wonderful person who cares deeply about her community and the people she represents. My heart goes out to Helen, and I wish her strength and a full recovery.

Acting Supt, Ashley Mason, says he was “not aware” of any prior concerns or incidents related to Helen Haines before today’s incident. Asked how long the area will remain a crime scene, he says: We’ve got our investigators from the Major Collision Investigation Unit who are currently en route to Wangaratta from Melbourne.

So they’ve got significant travel time as well as the time it will take for them to thoroughly process the crime scene once they arrive, I think. There’s some talk that there might be specialist terrorist-related police involved in the investigation. We’ve notified our crime and counter-terrorism command and they’re currently liaison and assisting our investigators.

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