Attack on Australian MP Haines: How threats against legislators have soared

An Australian independent lawmaker, Helen Haines, has had both legs amputated after ⁠being struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, Victoria state, in what Prime Minister ⁠Anthony Albanese called “a deliberate attack”.The MP’s right leg was amputated on Wednesday, two days after her left leg was amputated at a hospital in Melbourne, where the 65-year-old politician has been receiving treatment after being flown by helicopter.Recommended Stories list of 1 itemlist 1 of 1Australian MP Helen Haines critically injured in ‘deliberate’ car rammingend of list“The good news in all this is that Helen is alive and she’s stable. That is the most important thing for our family,” her husband, Phil Haines, told reporters outside the Melbourne hospital.“We are grateful and thankful that, at this stage, both her heart and her mind are in good shape,” he said.The Australian police said it was a “targeted attack” and warned of growing “online extremism” and recorded a rise in abuse, threats and intimidation targeting lawmakers – steadily growing in a country where political violence has been rare.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led an outpouring of support for Haines. “It’s a reminder t...