Australian MP Helen Haines badly injured in deliberate car attack

Australian MP Helen Haines was in critical condition on Monday after being deliberately struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, northeast of Melbourne, police and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“All 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 news conference.

Victoria police said a suspect had been arrested after Haines was struck by a car near her office in Wangaratta, about a three-hour drive northeast of Melbourne. Acting superintendent Ashley Mason told a media conference that there was no further threat to the public.

Albanese said it was too early to determine the motive for the attack.