Australian lawmaker in critical condition after vehicle attack

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

Albanese said it was too early to determine the motive for the attack but pointed to the changing face of social media having raised the temperature around politics in a country where such violence is extremely rare.

Victoria Police said a 43-year-old man had been arrested after the attack on independent MP Haines in Wangaratta, around three hours’ drive northeast of Melbourne.

Haines, 65, was airlifted to hospital, Albanese said.

When asked by public broadcaster ABC whether the increased anger around politics had led to worries about attacks on politicians, the prime minister pointed to the anonymity of online content.

“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.

“Here in Australia, it is a good thing that politicians are able to go about…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business