Independent MP Helen Haines has lost one leg and remains in a critical condition after being struck by a four-wheel-drive vehicle outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, north-east Victoria. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was deliberate and that counter-terrorism agencies were helping investigate.
Brendan Nugent, 43, from nearby Tarrawingee, was arrested at the scene and remains in police custody. Authorities are working to establish the motive and determine whether state and Commonwealth offences will be pursued.
What happened in Wangaratta
Haines was returning to her office after attending a sod-turning event in Mansfield when she was hit by a white Toyota LandCruiser at about 3.35pm on Monday.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said witnesses reported that the vehicle made a U-turn and rammed Haines against another car before reversing and striking her again. Albanese said she had been retrieving items from the boot of her own vehicle.
Witness Cody Lepoidevin, who works near the scene, said he saw Haines hit several times. Other witnesses told broadcasters that she was pinned between two vehicles outside her office.
Ricky Jefferies, who owns a barbershop nearby, intervened after the incident. He said he took a knife from the driver’s pocket, restrained him and waited for police to arrive.
“I don’t think I’m a hero. I was a person who had an opportunity to intervene in a safe-ish sort of way,” Jefferies said on Tuesday. “I’m humbled, and I’m grateful and blessed to have been there to help.”
Helen Haines remains in critical condition
Haines was initially taken to Northeast Health Wangaratta before being airlifted to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne, where she underwent surgery on Monday night.
She has lost a leg as a result of her injuries, while surgeons are working to save the other. The hospital said she remained in a critical condition and that a further clinical assessment was not expected until later on Tuesday.
Albanese described Haines as “an incredibly hardworking MP” and said she was “fiercely intelligent” and “a thoroughly decent human being, full of integrity, respected right across the parliament”.
Police investigate possible motive
Victoria Police is leading the investigation with support from the Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes the Australian Federal Police and the intelligence agency ASIO.
AFP commissioner Krissy Barrett said the incident appeared to be isolated, with no known connected threats. She said possible charges could include causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, an offence carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said the attack had taken place amid rising grievance, intolerance and polarisation. He warned that violent rhetoric could contribute to acts of violence, adding: “Words matter.”
Nugent’s property near Wangaratta was cordoned off by police on Tuesday. Authorities said he was expected to be interviewed as they continued investigating the alleged attack.
A neighbour said he had contacted emergency services repeatedly over the past year about what he described as concerning behaviour. Another local politician, Nationals MP Tim McCurdy, said Nugent had previously been in contact with his electorate office.
Haines, 65, has represented the federal seat of Indi as an independent since 2019. A former nurse, midwife and health researcher, she has campaigned on climate action, regional healthcare and the creation of a national anti-corruption body.
The attack has also prompted renewed concern about threats against politicians. The AFP received 1,067 reports of harassing or threatening behaviour towards high office holders in 2025-26, up from 951 the previous year.
