Australian independent lawmaker Helen Haines was in critical condition on Monday after being deliberately struck by a car outside her office, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirming that a terrorism taskforce would investigate the suspect.

Police arrested a 43-year-old man following the incident in Wangaratta, about three hours’ drive northeast of Melbourne. Haines, 65, was airlifted to hospital, Albanese said.

The prime minister said it was too early to establish the motive for the attack but raised concerns about the increasingly hostile tone of political discussions on social media.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Albanese pointed to the anonymity of online platforms, where people often make comments they would not make in face-to-face conversations.

“The concern, if you look at anyone’s social media feeds and look at the comments, people will say things that they would never say face to face. But the temperature has undoubtedly been increased. Not just here in Australia, of course. We’ve seen incidents internationally as well,” he said.

Albanese emphasized that politicians must remain able to interact freely with members of the public in their communities.

“Here in Australia, it is a good thing that politicians are able to go about their community and engage with people. I don’t want to see a political system in which you can’t have conversations with people at the supermarket, in the street, at street meetings, public forums. That’s an important part of our democracy,” he added.

Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason said there was no further threat to the public following the incident.

Earlier, Albanese expressed support for the injured lawmaker and those close to her.

“All of 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,” he said.

Haines’ family also issued a statement on her Facebook page, thanking bystanders who provided immediate assistance, healthcare workers who treated her and police for their response.

Before entering parliament, Haines worked in nursing, midwifery and academia. She was elected as an independent representative for the seat of Indi in 2019.

According to her website, she has opposed proposals to make political donations to major parties more secretive, ban mobile phones in immigration detention and spend billions of dollars on fossil fuel subsidies. (Arise News)