Melbourne: Australian lawmaker Helen Haines has had both legs removed, her husband told journalists on Wednesday, after what police called a “targeted” attack.
Haines is in a stable condition at a Melbourne hospital after being struck by a car on Monday near her office in the town of Wangaratta, more than 200 kilometres northeast of the Victoria state capital.
Speaking at the hospital on Wednesday, her husband Phil said that surgeons had been forced to remove both her legs.
“But the good news in all this is Helen is alive and she’s stable. That is the most important thing for our family,” he said.
“The two most important parts of Helen for us as a family are her heart and her mind,” he said.
“Her heart is huge. She is a very compassionate, caring, loving person.”
The man alleged to have wounded Haines, in what police have called a “targeted” attack, faced court earlier on Wednesday.
Police have charged 43-year-old Brendan Nugent with dangerous driving causing serious injury and intentionally causing serious injury, as well as the federal crime of harming a public official, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
He has also been charged with cultivating a cannabis plant and possession of the drug, according to court documents shared with AFP.
Nugent appeared at a courthouse in Wangaratta, an AFP journalist at the scene said.
He did not apply for bail and his next hearing is scheduled for February 4.
‘Extremist views’
The alleged attack has sparked soul-searching in a country where political violence is rare, but where police have documented a steady rise in threats and abuse towards elected officials in recent years.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn - King Charles III’s official representative in Australia - said the nation was crying out for “decency” following the attack.
“Australians are yearning for kindness and care, and they’re asking us why we’ve lost the great skill of disagreeing well,” Mostyn said alongside Helen’s husband Phil.
The motive remains unknown and authorities have refused to speculate while the investigation takes place.
But police said Wednesday they were examining all possible leads, including that Nugent may have held radical anti-government views.
“Like everyone, we’re examining social media associations, talking to witnesses, friends and colleagues,” Victoria police commissioner Mike Bush told journalists.
Bush said authorities held no intelligence on the suspect and had seen nothing to suggest he posed an immediate threat before the attack.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett said there was a growing level of “extremist views” online.
“The current criminal threat environment is febrile and when it comes to federal parliamentarians, the AFP continues to record the growing volume of online abuse, threatening rhetoric and intimidation,” she said.
World ‘more dangerous’
The independent lawmaker, 65, was standing near the trunk of her car when she was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser on Monday afternoon.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led an outpouring of support for Haines, who was widely praised for her efforts to increase transparency in politics and crack down on corruption.
He bemoaned the fact that political debate in Australia had grown too heated and personal over the past few years.
“It’s a reminder that the world is a more dangerous and divided place than it was a generation ago,” Albanese told ABC Melbourne 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.”
Haines entered parliament in 2019 after working as a nurse and midwife, becoming known for stances such as supporting stronger climate action.