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Australian MP Helen Haines loses leg after car attack, says report; PM Albanese calls incident ‘deliberate’
Independent MP Helen Haines is in critical condition after being struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, Victoria.
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Independent Australian MP Helen Haines underwent a surgery last night, with doctors reportedly having to amputate her leg after she was struck by a car outside her electorate office in rural Victoria.
The 65-year-old politician underwent emergency surgery overnight in Melbourne after suffering severe lower-body injuries, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The doctors amputated one of her legs following the attack on Monday afternoon, and are fighting to save her second leg, local media reports said.
A 43-year-old man, Brendan Nugent, was arrested at the scene, with a bystander reportedly intervening to restrain him.
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Haines was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser outside her office in Wangaratta, a town located just over 200 kilometres (124 miles) northeast of Melbourne, at approximately 3:35 pm on Monday (0435 GMT).
PM Albanese calls it a ‘deliberate’ attack
In a video posted on Instagram, Australian PM Anthony Albanese said that Haines remains in a “critical condition” after her surgery. He confirmed that a suspect is under custody.
The PM further stated that the motive for the attack is not known yet. However, an investigation is underway, led by Victorian Police with the Australian Federal Police, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and Joint Counter Terrorism Task Force.
Speaking to ABC news, Albanese said preliminary investigations indicated that the driver made a U-turn before hitting Haines while she was retrieving items from the boot of her car. The vehicle allegedly reversed and struck her a second time, according to witnesses cited by local media.
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“It’s clear that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn’t an accident,” Reuters quoted Albanese as telling ABC News, adding that the motive remained unknown.
Counter-terrorism authorities are among the agencies involved in the investigation. Police are considering potential charges, including causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, an offence that carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
Authorities have described the incident as isolated, with no known related threats identified so far.
'Turn the temperature down': Albanese
Reportedly, Haines, a former nurse, midwife and academic, entered the parliament in 2019 as an independent representative for the electorate of Indi. She retained her seat in the 2022 and 2025 elections and has been a prominent advocate for government accountability and anti-corruption measures.
Albanese called on Australians to lower the intensity of political debate and engage with one another more respectfully, warning that increasing polarisation could undermine the country's social cohesion.
“We all have a responsibility to turn the temperature down,” he said, expressing concern about the rise in threats against politicians in recent years.
During last year’s election campaign, threats against politicians and candidates increased, prompting police to record 51 reports involving alleged criminal offences, as per Bloomberg. According to the Australian Federal Police’s annual report, these included threats made against federal parliamentarians and election candidates, both in person and through online communication platforms.
Authorities have yet to establish a motive for the attack on Haines, and investigations are continuing.
(With inputs by AFP, Reuters, Bloomberg)
