Australian independent MP Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after being deliberately struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, Victoria, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Her right leg was amputated on Wednesday, two days after her left leg was removed at a hospital in Melbourne. The 65-year-old politician was flown to Melbourne by helicopter for treatment.
“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.
Police described the incident as a “targeted attack” and warned of growing “online extremism”, along with an increase in abuse, threats and intimidation targeting lawmakers in a country where political violence has historically been rare.
Albanese led an outpouring of support for Haines. “It’s a reminder that the world is a more dangerous and divided place than it was a generation ago,” he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
“I think that Australians do want to see their politicians be able to go about their business, to be able to get something from the back of their car, for goodness’ sake.”
Why have threats against Australian lawmakers been increasing?
What authorities know about the alleged attack
Haines, who entered parliament in 2019, was struck by an SUV in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon, leaving the rural Australian town shocked and disbelieving.
The MP was retrieving items from the boot of her car when her alleged attacker drove past in a Toyota Land Cruiser. According to authorities, the 43-year-old man turned the vehicle around, veered into Haines and pinned her against her car. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the driver then reversed and rammed her again.
Police identified the suspect as Brendan Nugent. He appeared in court on Wednesday but did not enter a plea or apply for bail.
Nugent was charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a public official. Additional charges relating to cannabis cultivation and possession were also filed against him.
He will remain in custody until his next court appearance in February.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the agency had received no warning of an imminent threat from the alleged attacker.
“What I can say is we didn’t have any specific intelligence that would have indicated something as atrocious as happened on Monday afternoon,” she said.
Victoria Police Chief Mike Bush said investigators had found no direct past contact between Haines and the accused.
“Motivation is one of these things that we absolutely need to explore. His motivation for this, what we allege is a deliberate attack, is very much a centrepiece of the investigation,” Bush said.
Who is Helen Haines?
Haines entered parliament in 2019 after working as a nurse and midwife. She became known for advocating stronger climate action and retained the rural seat of Indi in both the 2022 and 2025 elections.
She has been widely praised for efforts to increase transparency in politics and combat corruption.
“My background in nursing guides my work. As a nurse and a midwife, you’re with people in their most joyous and difficult moments. It’s taught me that life is precious, that everyone deserves dignity and respect, that good policy starts with listening, and – as a health researcher – that facts matter,” she says on her website.
“Every day, I work to be a strong, independent voice – guided by common sense, decency and a commitment to delivering for our community and your family.”
In parliament, Haines campaigned for a national anti-corruption body. She introduced legislation in 2021 to establish a federal integrity commission, although the bill was defeated.
The Australian Parliament passed the National Anti-Corruption Commission Act in 2022, paving the way for the creation of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Haines played a significant role in advancing the legislation and served as deputy chair of the parliamentary committee overseeing the NACC.
Why are threats against lawmakers rising?
The Australian Human Rights Commission said the attack occurred “against a backdrop of increasing polarisation and threats against politicians” that could undermine democracy.
Threats against Australian lawmakers and electorate offices doubled between 2021 and 2025, with 1,067 incidents reported to police in the latter year.
Police charged 41 people with offences involving threats against parliamentarians last year. The Australian Federal Police had also established a National Security Investigations team, described by Commissioner Barrett as a “flying squad of hate disruptors”.
During the 2025 election campaign, threats against candidates increased by 17 percent compared with the previous election.
Earlier this month, police charged three men over separate threats against politicians and government officials, while three other people were sentenced by the courts.
Senior opposition politician James Paterson called for a review of personal security arrangements in response to the alleged attack.
“The reality is that Australian parliamentarians by global standards are uniquely accessible to the public and that’s a good thing,” Paterson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“But we can’t have a situation where shocking attacks like this take place because that will fundamentally change our democracy forever if it becomes a serious risk to your life to be a member of parliament,” he added.
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director-General Mike Burgess warned last year that politically motivated violence was among the agency’s fastest-growing security concerns, driven by “grievance narratives, conspiracies and online echo chambers”.
Counterterrorism police are among the agencies investigating the attack on Haines. Police maintain, however, that they believe the incident was isolated and that there was “no intelligence to suggest any threat to Haines”.
What is known about the suspect?
Nugent, a 43-year-old resident of Tarrawingee within Haines’s electorate, has been charged with offences carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
His motive remains unknown, and authorities have declined to speculate while the investigation continues.
Police said on Wednesday that they were examining all possible leads, including whether Nugent had held radical anti-government views.
“Like everyone, we’re examining social media associations, talking to witnesses, friends and colleagues,” Victoria Police Commissioner Bush told journalists.
During his brief court appearance on Wednesday, Nugent’s lawyer said his client has a rare neurological condition called idiopathic transverse myelitis and had never previously been in custody.
Wangaratta Mayor Irene Grant said a sombre mood had settled over the town of about 30,000 people, a regional hub roughly 250km (155 miles) northeast of Melbourne.
“What has happened to Helen has caused the community to step back in utter disbelief. We can’t believe it; people are horrified by what has happened,” she told the AFP news agency.
