What happened
An Australian MP, Helen Haines, was hit by a car and severely injured outside her office in the regional Victorian town of Wangaratta. A 43-year-old man was arrested at the scene, and a knife was seized. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as an apparent attack, stating that it was a deliberate act.
Witnesses reported that the suspect did a U-turn before striking the MP and then reversing to ram her again. The incident has left Australia reeling, with many MPs expressing their worst fears about the growing threat of violence against politicians.
According to government statistics, there were 1,067 reports of harassing and threatening behavior against high office holders in the year to June, an increase from the previous year. Experts attribute the rise in threats to socioeconomic strain, growing mental health problems, and a toxic online environment.
MPs have described taking precautions such as locking their office doors, scanning crowds for potential threats, and wearing disguises in public. Women in politics are particularly scared, with one MP stating that being a woman in politics changes the way you move through the world.
