Australian lawmaker Helen Haines had both legs amputated after a driver allegedly struck her with an SUV twice in what authorities are investigating as a serious act of violence against a federal official.
Haines, 65, remained in critical condition Wednesday at a Melbourne hospital, where doctors amputated her right leg after initially removing her left leg following Monday’s attack in her hometown of Wangaratta. Her husband, speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, said she was alive and stable.
“The good news in all this is that Helen is alive and she’s stable. That is the most important thing for our family,” he told reporters in Melbourne.
“We are grateful and thankful that at this stage, both her heart and her mind are in good shape,” he added.
The attack has prompted calls for a review of security arrangements for Australian lawmakers as investigators work to establish a motive.
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<p> ” data-large-file=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/australian-politician-struck-by-car-in-violent-attack-loses-both-legs.webp?w=1024″ src=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/australian-politician-struck-by-car-in-violent-attack-loses-both-legs.webp” alt=”Tributes and flowers are placed outside the electoral office for independent member of parliament Helen Haines in Wangaratta, Australia, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (James Ross/AAPImage via AP)” class=”wp-image-4773652″ srcset=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/australian-politician-struck-by-car-in-violent-attack-loses-both-legs.webp 1024w, https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/australian-politician-struck-by-car-in-violent-attack-loses-both-legs.webp?resize=300,200 300w, https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/australian-politician-struck-by-car-in-violent-attack-loses-both-legs.webp?resize=768,512 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”><figcaption class=)
Tributes and flowers are placed outside the electoral office for independent member of parliament Helen Haines in Wangaratta, Australia, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (James Ross/AAPImage via AP)Brendan Nugent, 43, of nearby Tarrawingee, appeared in the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to face charges of intentionally causing serious injury, dangerous driving causing serious injury, and causing harm to a federal official.
Nugent did not enter a plea or apply for bail. He will remain in custody until his next court appearance in February. Police have not established a motive for the alleged attack.
According to witnesses, the driver rammed Haines with a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV, pinning her against her own vehicle before reversing and striking her again.
Nugent’s lawyer, Chirag Patel, told Magistrate Allison Vaughan that his client may be experiencing mental health problems but had never received a mental health diagnosis. Patel also said Nugent had idiopathic transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition that causes inflammation of the spinal cord, as well as a concussion. The lawyer did not explain how Nugent sustained the concussion.
The alleged attack has raised concerns about the risks faced by elected officials who maintain close contact with their constituents.
James Paterson, a senior opposition lawmaker, called Wednesday for a review of lawmakers’ personal security, warning that attacks of this nature could threaten the accessibility that has long characterized Australian politics.
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“The reality is that Australian parliamentarians by global standards are uniquely accessible to the public and that’s a good thing,” Paterson told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“But we … can’t have a situation where shocking attacks like this take place because that will fundamentally change our democracy forever if it becomes a serious risk to your life to be a member of parliament,” he added.
