The attack on Helen Haines will be no defining moment, only another step towards fragmentation

Independent MP Helen Haines was allegedly run down in a deliberate attack on Monday at approximately 4 p.m. on Murphy Street in Wangaratta. Ricky Jefferies, a barber and business owner, was one of the first people at the scene after hearing a loud crash. Jefferies stated he had just finished cutting hair when he ran to help and felt he had no choice but to remove the driver from the moving vehicle as it was the safest course of action.

While the Australian prime minister has hailed Jefferies as a hero, the 43-year-old barber has repeatedly stated he does not want to be known as a hero. ABC News AU reported that Jefferies was among the first on the scene when Haines was critically injured. One source noted that while Jefferies has a history of activism in the Wangaratta area, he had recently strayed into "darker" things.

Crikey reported that although there are calls for the attack on Haines to be a turning point in political discourse, evidence suggests the situation may instead lead to further fragmentation.

Brief written by urgent.news from Crikey, The Guardian Australia, The Guardian, ABC News AU, The Age — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.