Australian MP in critical condition after being hit twice by car in apparent attack

Australian MP Helen Haines is in a critical but stable condition after being hit by a car twice in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described as a "deliberate" act.

The independent member for Indi, 65, was airlifted to a Melbourne hospital after she was struck outside her constituency office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday afternoon. She has undergone surgery and lost one of her legs, local media reported.

Brendan Nugent, 43, from nearby Tarrawingee, has been named as the suspect who was detained at the scene by a bystander. Police say a knife was found in the car.

Politicians from all sides have condemned the attack which has shocked Australia, where political violence is rare.

The incident happened around 15:35 (04:35 GMT) on Monday when Haines was hit by a white Toyota Landcruiser outside her Murphy St office in Wangaratta, about 240km (150 miles) north-east of Melbourne.

The driver of the car allegedly did a U-turn to get into position before hitting Haines twice, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said.

"What witnesses have described is the driver doing a U-turn to get into the car park and to ram Helen against a vehicle, then to reverse and do it a second time," Burke told national broadcaster ABC on Tuesday.

A local barber, Ricky Jefferies, who witnessed the incident rushed to the scene and pulled the man out of the car, detaining him until police arrived.

Nugent, an environmental campaigner, remains in custody and is being questioned by police, who have not confirmed whether the attack was deliberate or suggested a possible motive.

Victoria Police are leading a joint investigation along with federal police and Australia's spy agency, ASIO.

The incident appears to be "isolated" and there was no further threats connected to the matter, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett said on Tuesday.

The AFP and Victoria Police are "working closely together to identify potential charges" which may include state and Commonwealth offences such as causing harm to a public official which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.

Political leaders have expressed shock and dismay at the incident, with Albanese saying "there is no place for violence in a democracy".

It was too early to speculate on the motive behind what had happened, he said, but he has repeatedly and emotionally talked about how the political temperature had been rising in Australia.

Recent figures show an increase in reports of threatening or harassing behaviour towards politicians from 951 to 1,067 in the past year.

Tributes have poured in for Haines, who was elected in 2019 and is well respected among her peers, with Albanese describing her as a "thoroughly decent human being".

Haines proposed legislation for a national anti-corruption watchdog in 2022, and has been credited for driving the creation of the National Anti-Corruption Commission under Labor in the previous parliamentary term.

Before becoming an MP, Haines had a career as a nurse, midwife and public health researcher.

She sits on the parliamentary committee responsible for its oversight and often works with other key independent MPs on issues such as climate action and gender equality.

Allegra Spender, an independent MP who has collaborated with Haines, called her "the best of us".

An Australian parliamentary report warned last year that politically motivated threats and physical attacks had increased "significantly over the past decade".

A threat assessment by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation - the country's equivalent of MI5 in the UK - warned last year that the risk of such violence was "already flashing red".

In the wake of the attack, MPs with a range of political backgrounds have said the climate has them living in fear: wearing disguises in public, locking their office doors, and scanning every crowd for potential threats.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor - head of the Liberal Party - said he was "deeply saddened and distressed" by the news, and that Australians would be "angry and appalled".

Senator Matt Canavan, leader of The Nationals, said his heart went out to Haines and her family "upon the news of this shocking attack".

Greens leader Senator David Shoebridge said he was "horrified" to hear of the "apparent attack", adding: "Helen is an extraordinary human being and brings people together like few others".

Senator Pauline Hanson, One Nation leader, said violence against elected representatives is "never acceptable" and MPs and their staff "must be able to serve their communities without fearing for their safety".