Australian MP Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after she was struck twice by a car outside her electoral office in Wangaratta, north-east of Melbourne.
Her husband, Phil Haines, said the independent lawmaker was in a stable condition. Doctors initially amputated her left leg and attempted to save her right, but were unsuccessful.
“The good news in all this is Helen is alive, and she’s stable,” Mr Haines told reporters. “That is the most important thing for our family.”
A 43-year-old man, named as Brendan Nugent, appeared briefly in court on Wednesday in connection with the vehicle attack.
He has been charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing injury and causing harm to a public official. Court filings also record charges alleging the cultivation and possession of cannabis.
The suspect’s lawyer said Mr Nugent had a rare neurological condition known as idiopathic transverse myelitis and was recovering from a concussion.
Police are continuing to investigate the motive. Krissy Barrett, Australia’s federal police commissioner, said there had been no intelligence indicating that Ms Haines faced a threat.
“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 told reporters.
Ms Haines, who previously worked in nursing, midwifery and academia, was elected to Parliament in 2019 for the rural seat of Indi. She retained the seat in 2022 and 2025.
Attacks on Australian politicians are rare, although concerns have increased over online abuse and threats directed at elected officials.
