Politician who was intentionally hit by car loses both her legs

Australian lawmaker Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after being hit by a car, her husband said on Wednesday, hailing her as a "fighter" despite critical injuries sustained in what police described as a targeted attack.

Haines, 65, is now in a stable condition at a Melbourne hospital days after being struck by a car on Monday near her office in the town of Wangaratta, which is just over 200 kilometers, or 120 miles, northeast of the Victoria state capital.

The incident has prompted soul-searching in a country where political violence is rare but where police have documented a steady rise in threats and abuse toward elected officials in recent years.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led tributes to Haines, an independent member of parliament and a passionate campaigner for transparency and against corruption. He has also acknowledged the need for Australians to turn down the temperature and embrace respectful disagreement over polarization.

Speaking at the hospital on Wednesday, Haines' husband of almost 40 years, Phil, said that after days in intensive care, surgeons had been forced to amputate 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, adding, "The two most important parts of Helen for us as a family are her heart and her mind."

Haines' husband went on to describe her as "a very compassionate, caring, loving person" with a "huge" heart. 

"Helen's road to recovery will be long and difficult, but we know she is a fighter," he said.

"Extremist views"

The man alleged to have wounded Haines in what police have called a "targeted" attack faced court for the first time earlier on Wednesday.

Brendan Nugent, 43, has been charged 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's initial hearing took place at a courthouse in Wangaratta, according to an AFP journalist at the scene. He didn't speak in court or apply for bail, and his next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4.

In court, Nugent's lawyer Chirag Patel told Magistrate Allison Vaughan that his suffered from idiopathic transverse myelitis, a neurological condition, as well as a concussion. The lawyer didn't explain how Nugent had become concussed. Patel also said his client was suffering from potential mental health issues but had never been diagnosed with any mental health problem.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, idiopathic transverse myelitis is a rare condition that damages the spinal cord's protective myelin sheath and disrupts nerve signals between the brain and body, leading to rapid muscle weakness, sensory loss, pain, and bladder and bowel dysfunction.

The motive for the attack remains unknown, and authorities will not speculate while the investigation is ongoing. But police said Wednesday they were examining all possible leads, including that Nugent may have held radical anti-government views.

"We're examining social media associations, talking to witnesses, friends and colleagues," Victoria police commissioner Mike Bush told reporters. He said, however, that authorities had no intelligence on the suspect and hadn't seen anything to suggest he posed an immediate threat.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett pointed to a growing and concerning level of "extremist views" online, saying the incident was "what many had been dreading for some time."

World "more dangerous"

Helen Haines entered parliament in 2019 after working as a nurse and midwife, becoming known for stances such as supporting stronger climate action.

The independent lawmaker was standing near the trunk of her car when she was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser on Monday afternoon. Witnesses told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that they saw her pinned between the two vehicles.

Threats against Australian lawmakers and electorate offices doubled between 2021 and 2025, with 1,067 incidents reported to police last year.

Governor-General Sam Mostyn — King Charles III's official representative in Australia — said the nation was crying out for "decency" in the wake of the attack on Haines.

"Australians are yearning for kindness and care, and they're asking us why we've lost the great skill of disagreeing well," Mostyn said, speaking alongside Phil Haines.

Highlighting the tense climate, police in Western Australia charged a man late on Wednesday after he made threats and swung nunchucks at the office of state lawmaker Hannah Beazley, media said.

The incident has drawn comparisons to other acts of violence against elected officials elsewhere, most notably the killing of British lawmaker Jo Cox outside her office in 2016.

"It's a reminder that the world is a more dangerous and divided place than it was a generation ago," Prime Minister Albanese told ABC Melbourne radio.