Story perspectives

Police Arrest Man After Knife Attack on MP Haines

By Drooid · Oct 19, 2026, 10:13 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Independent MP Helen Haines was struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser outside her Wangaratta office.
A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was detained by a passerby and arrested.
Police recovered a knife from the vehicle and said the act was intentional.
Haines, 65, was airlifted to Melbourne with critical lower-body injuries.
A joint counter-terrorism team including AFP and ASIO is investigating motive unknown.

History

Historical Context

Australia’s first modern political assassination occurred on 5 September 1994 when Labor MP John Newman was shot dead in Cabramatta, a crime later linked to Phuong Ngo, who received a life-without-parole sentence in 2001. The only earlier MP killing was Labour member Percy Brookfield in 1921. Today, Independent MP Helen Haines was attacked, prompting a joint AFP-ASIO counter-terrorism investigation and renewed calls for tighter parliamentary security.

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Story summary

Independent MP Helen Haines was struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser outside her Wangaratta office.
A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was detained by a passerby and arrested.
Police recovered a knife from the vehicle and said the act was intentional.
Haines, 65, was airlifted to Melbourne with critical lower-body injuries.
A joint counter-terrorism team including AFP and ASIO is investigating motive unknown.

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