The Helen Haines attack has shaken Australian politics. The independent member for Indi, a former nurse and midwife who many call the most decent person in parliament, has now had both legs amputated. She was struck by a vehicle outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, in Victoria’s north-east, on Monday afternoon.
Her husband, Phil Haines, told reporters on Wednesday that surgeons removed her right leg that day, after her left leg was lost on Monday. He said the family had hoped the right leg could be saved. “Helen is alive, and she’s stable,” he said, adding that her heart and mind remain strong. The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, however, still describes her condition as critical.
What happened outside Helen Haines’s Wangaratta office
At about 3.35pm on Monday 19 October, Haines, 65, was at the back of her orange car on Murphy Street, taking items from the boot. A white Toyota LandCruiser then hit her.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke relayed what witnesses described. The driver made a U-turn into the car park, drove into Haines and pinned her against her own vehicle. He then reversed and did it a second time.
People nearby reacted within seconds. Cody Lepoidevin, who works close to the office, heard a crash and then screaming. He and others ran over, called triple zero and applied tourniquets. He said Haines stayed conscious and was gracious even through the pain.
Ricky Jefferies, whose barber shop sits next door, pulled the driver out of the vehicle. He found a knife in the man’s pocket, removed it and threw it away. He then stayed beside the man on the ground until police took over. Police were nearby and reached the scene within about a minute. Jefferies insists he is no hero and says others did far more. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called him an example of the best of the Australian character.
Haines was treated in Wangaratta and then airlifted to The Alfred, arriving around 7.30pm for emergency surgery.
Who is the man charged over the Helen Haines attack?
Police arrested a 43-year-old man at the scene. On Tuesday evening he was named as Brendan Nugent, from Tarrawingee, about 12 kilometres from Wangaratta. He was charged with:
- dangerous driving causing serious injury
- intentionally causing serious injury
- causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, a federal offence that carries up to 10 years in prison
Police allege the attack was targeted. They have not publicly established a motive, and they say they are treating it as an isolated incident with no other known threats.
Nugent appeared in Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. His lawyer did not apply for bail and told the court he has a rare neurological condition. Court documents showed two additional drug charges, for cultivating and possessing cannabis at his property on 20 October, bringing the total to five. He will return to court in February. Nugent has not been tried, and the allegations have not been tested in court.
His family has released a statement saying they have been friends with Haines for more than 20 years and that what happened is devastating and unfathomable. Counter-terrorism investigators were involved early, and the AFP says more charges have not been ruled out.
Helen Haines’s condition: what her husband said
Phil Haines spoke outside The Alfred on Wednesday evening, alongside Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who attended at his invitation. He described a family holding on to the one thing that matters most, which is that she is alive.
The couple are about to mark 40 years of marriage next month. They have three children, Will, Nick and Georgia, and had recently welcomed new grandchildren. Friends say Haines had begun talking about slowing down to spend more time with them.
Mostyn used the moment to appeal for decency in public life. She said democratic decline happens slowly, as threads fray, and urged Australians to treat one another with more kindness.
Who is Helen Haines?
Haines grew up on a dairy farm near Eurack in Victoria. She worked as a midwife at Wangaratta Base Hospital and later as a director of nursing at Chiltern Bush Nursing Hospital. She went on to publish more than 60 peer-reviewed papers on maternal and rural health.
She won the seat of Indi in 2019, succeeding independent Cathy McGowan, and was re-elected in 2022 and 2025. She is widely credited as a key figure behind the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and she was the first Australian politician to sign a civility pledge from the UK group Compassion in Politics.
Colleagues from every side of parliament describe her the same way. Crossbench friends call her a mentor. Nationals and Liberal MPs speak of her as gentle, polite and respected. Former prime minister Scott Morrison said he was appalled and horrified, and Kevin Rudd called the attack unacceptable and un-Australian.
Albanese called the attack deliberate and visited Melbourne to meet police chiefs and Victoria’s premier. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor called it a dark day for the nation. Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said he was shocked and sickened and called it a turning point.
The reaction quickly turned to political safety. ASIO chief Mike Burgess said high levels of grievance and polarisation have created a permissive environment for violence. Ministers and MPs from several parties described death threats and abuse as routine, and some said they no longer publicise where they will be. Reporting this week put the number of threats against high-office holders at 1,067 in the last financial year. The AFP says it has charged 41 people over threats to federal parliamentarians since forming a dedicated team in October 2025.
Federal MPs are being briefed by the AFP, ASIO and Home Affairs on personal security. Campaigning for the 28 November Victorian state election paused on Tuesday as a mark of respect.
Wangaratta and Indi come together
In Wangaratta, flowers and handwritten notes have built up at the door of the Murphy Street office. Haines is known for sending signed cards and remembering personal details about the people she meets, and constituents are now writing back. Hundreds attended a prayer vigil at Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral on Tuesday, and several hundred more gathered in Wodonga on Wednesday evening. The Red Cross offered psychological first aid in Wangaratta, and the council held a special meeting.
One local, who told the ABC she had never voted for Haines, said the MP had always backed veterans and community causes in the town.
Haines faces a long recovery, and doctors will keep monitoring her in intensive care. Nugent’s case returns to court in February, and police may add charges. The wider debate over how to protect MPs, and how to cool the tone of political debate, is only starting.
Helen Haines attack: frequently asked questions
What happened to Helen Haines?
She was hit twice by a LandCruiser outside her Wangaratta electorate office on 19 October 2026. Both of her legs have since been amputated.
Is Helen Haines still alive?
Yes. Her husband says she is stable, though The Alfred Hospital still lists her condition as critical.
Who is charged over the attack?
Brendan Nugent, 43, has been charged with state and federal offences and has not yet entered pleas.
Was the Helen Haines attack politically motivated?
Police allege it was targeted, but they have not publicly stated a motive.
