What we know about Australian MP hit by car in alleged attack
Australian independent MP Helen Haines has had to have both her legs amputated after she was struck by a car outside her electorate office, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said appeared to be "a deliberate act".
The incident in Wangaratta, north-east of Melbourne, happened on Monday afternoon local time.
Her alleged attacker, 43-year-old Brendan Nugent, was arrested shortly after the incident.
He has since appeared in court on three charges over the alleged attack.
What happened?
Haines was struck by a White Toyota LandCruiser outside her electorate office on Monday.
A local barber Ricky Jefferies said he heard a loud commotion and ran towards the car, and multiple people "got involved immediately" to stop the alleged attacker.
Haines was airlifted to a Melbourne hospital where she underwent surgery.
Her husband told reporters on Wednesday that she had lost her left leg on Monday and despite hope that they could save her right leg, surgeons had to make the decision to amputate it on Wednesday.
Phil Haines added that her road to recovery would be "long and difficult".
But "her heart and her mind are in good shape", he said, adding that Haines would "do her best" to recover.
Who is the suspect?
Victoria Police arrested the driver of the car, Brendan Nugent, 43, shortly after the incident.
He was detained at the scene by a passer-by before being taken into custody by officers.
On Wednesday, Nugent appeared at Wangaratta Magistrates Court to face three charges: dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official.
Police said more charges may be laid, including attempted murder.
Court documents show he was also charged with cultivating and possessing cannabis.
Nugent, who lives in the nearby town of Tarrawingee, did not apply for bail and is due back in court in February.
Nugent reportedly campaigned widely on environmental issues, including advocating against logging.
His family released a statement on Tuesday, saying that they were long-time friends of Haines and that the apparent attack was "devastating and unfathomable".
Police said investigations are still ongoing. "His motivation for this - what we allege is a deliberate attack - is very much a centrepiece of the investigation," said Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush.
Who is Helen Haines?
ReutersHaines is a 65-year-old independent MP for the Indi division in Victoria, south-eastern Australia.
As a lawmaker, she has championed climate action and better working conditions for healthcare professionals. She was first elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 2019 and was re-elected in 2022 and 2025.
She grew up in the south-west of Victoria on a dairy farm with four brothers before training as a nurse and a midwife.
She became the matron of the Chiltern Bush Nursing Hospital in Victoria when she was 26, before later completing a master's degree in public health and a PhD in medical science while raising her three children and working, according to her website.
She lives with her family on a small cattle farm outside Wangaratta.
She also recently became a grandmother and would share photos of her baby grandchildren, according to fellow independent MP Zali Steggall, who sits next to Haines in federal parliament. Steggall described Haines as "deeply loved and respected".
Where did the incident happen?
The incident happened outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, a city of about 30,000 people.
Police said she was hit on Murphy Street at about 15:35 local time (05:35 BST) on Monday.
What level of threat is there to Australia's politicians?
Shortly after the alleged attack on Haines on Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in an ABC television interview that there has been a "rise in temperature" and "too much shouting, not enough discourse" in Australia.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said there had been an increase in reports of harassing and threatening behaviour towards lawmakers in the 2025-26 financial year.
Police say almost one person a week is being charged for making threats against "high office holders" and their staff.
Individual protection for every one of the country's 226 federal MPs would require an "incredible amount of resourcing" - so police assess the need for close personal protection based on an individual's role and threat environment, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said.
What has the reaction been?
Bouquets of flowers are piling up at the doorstep of Haines' electoral office in Wangaratta, and figures across the political spectrum have been paying tribute to her.
Albanese described her as "incredibly hard-working".
"She is fiercely intelligent but most importantly she is just a thoroughly decent human being full of integrity and respected right across the Parliament and from everyone who comes into contact with her", he added.
He said the attack will come as an "incredible shock" to her community.
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the incident as a "shocking and deeply disturbing attack".
The Premier of Victoria Ben Carroll said Haines' campaign office had "a warmth you rarely ever find in politics". The alleged attack has made him "genuinely fear that we're straying from the principles of our democracy", he wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, Australia's opposition leader Angus Taylor said he was "deeply saddened and distressed".
"This is a shocking day for our nation," he said. "No-one should be targeted in this way."
MPs from a range of political backgrounds have also described feeling deeply concerned about their safety in recent times: wearing disguises in public, locking their office doors, and scanning every crowd for potential threats.