Federal MP Helen Haines reflected on Australian identity and national pride in a statement published less than 24 hours before she was struck by a vehicle outside her electorate office.
The 65-year-old was collecting items from the boot of her car in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon when she was hit several times by a white 1997 Toyota LandCruiser.
Witnesses alleged that the driver performed a U-turn before apparently steering the vehicle towards the mother of three and grandmother.
The independent member for Indi was trapped beneath the four-wheel-drive and sustained severe injuries to her lower body. She was flown to Melbourne for emergency surgery overnight.
Police arrested 43-year-old Brendan Nugent, from the Wangaratta area, at the scene. No charges have been laid.
On Sunday afternoon, fewer than 24 hours before the incident, Ms Haines posted a photograph of herself holding the Australian flag while considering what it means to be Australian.
“Our national flags are powerful symbols of who we are as Australians – our history, our values and the country we’re proud to call home,” she wrote on social media.
“It’s been an honour to present flags to St Joseph’s Primary School in Benalla, local students undertaking Rotary exchanges, such as Lucy who is heading to Germany, and Kerribana Primary School in Baranduda.”
Federal MP Helen Haines discussed the meaning of Australian identity one day before she was struck by a vehicle outside her electorate office on Monday
Haines was taken to Melbourne for emergency surgery after suffering serious injuries
She was collecting belongings from her car boot when she was hit repeatedly by a white 1997 Toyota LandCruiser, leaving her with severe lower-body injuries
She continued: “I hope these flags inspire pride in our country and conversations about what it means to be Australian.”
Ms Haines has represented the federal seat of Indi since 2019 and has consistently campaigned for gambling reform, stronger mental health services, higher welfare payments and universal access to early childhood education and care.
Drawing on her background as a midwife and nurse, she has also backed reforms to aged care and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Respected by politicians across the divide, Haines is known for her focus on integrity in public life. She was also instrumental in helping establish the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
In a statement issued about an hour before the incident, she welcomed the appointment of a new NACC commissioner and deputy, describing the changes as a necessary “reset” for the integrity agency.
Political leaders from both sides have since sent messages of support to the injured MP.
“There’s a reason why Helen Haines is so loved and admired, because she’s someone of integrity,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the ABC’s 7.30 program on Monday.
“She’s someone who treats everyone with respect, and she’s someone who is a beacon of light for that community there in northern Victoria.”
Brendan Nugent, 43, from near Wangaratta, was arrested at the scene, but no charges have been laid
Anthony Albanese said there had been a concerning rise in people threatening politicians
Albanese said the motive for the ‘deliberate attack’ remained unclear, but noted there had been a significant increase in the number of people charged with threatening politicians.
‘It’s important in a democracy that people are allowed to have disagreements,’ he said.
‘But that doesn’t mean that you have to draw into question people’s motivations or their patriotism or who they are.
‘We’ve seen, I think, political discourse go in the wrong direction in recent times and I want us to acknowledge (that) in the way that politics is conducted.’
Allegra Spender, a fellow community independent, called Haines ‘the best of us’.
‘Helen is one of the most outstanding people in parliament,’ she said.
‘Whether you agree with her or you don’t on issues, you would be proud to see how she approaches issues in the parliament; with compassion, with rigour, everything that you would want from a politician.’
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