Security briefing for anxious MPs as Helen Haines loses leg, remains in critical condition

Australian intelligence agencies will brief anxious federal politicians about a worsening security environment on Wednesday as independent MP Helen Haines remains in a critical condition after being struck by a four-wheel drive outside her regional Victorian office.

The member for Indi, 65, lost one of her legs and surgeons were trying to save the other at Melbourne’s Alfred hospital on Tuesday. Police held suspect Brendan Nugent, 43, in custody as they investigated potential motives for what they are treating as a targeted attack.

Haines’ parliamentary colleagues described the former nurse and midwife as “the best of us” as they grappled with the rare act of violence against a sitting MP, while the town of Wangaratta, in north-east Victoria, held a vigil and laid flowers outside her office.

The attack on Haines has alarmed state and federal MPs who have been subject to increasingly threatening behaviour in recent years. As One Nation leader Pauline Hanson blamed state premiers and the prime minister for enabling division and hatred, other MPs said it was time for reflection, not finger pointing.

The Home Affairs Department, ASIO and Australian Federal Police will address parliamentarians in several sessions on Wednesday, while Victoria is contemplating increased security at next month’s state election.

“Everyone in public office carries a level of risk now, everyone,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Tuesday. Federal police have received 1067 reports of harassing and threatening behaviour against high officeholders in 2025-26, up from 951 the financial year before.

But Haines seemed to MPs and her constituents an unlikely target, and politicians across the political divide on Tuesday described the non-partisan MP as a kind, decent, respectful and community-driven local member.

“When you go through the different scale of who we would have thought was the most at risk, no one would have thought Helen Haines,” Burke said. “Everybody looks at that and thinks, if it was Helen, it could have been me. Everyone is aware of that. But all our thoughts right now are with Helen.”

Witnesses said Haines was retrieving items from the boot of her car on Monday afternoon when a white Toyota LandCruiser conducted a U-turn to ram her against a vehicle, before reversing and hitting her a second time.

In what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has labelled a heroic act, barbershop owner Ricky Jefferies intervened by running to the driver’s side of the vehicle and wrestling him to the ground before waiting for authorities to arrive.

Victoria Police is leading the investigation, supported by the state’s counterterrorism team, the Australian Federal Police and ASIO. Police raided Nugent’s sprawling property near Wangaratta on Monday night, and it remained cordoned off by detectives on Tuesday.

Neighbours described Nugent as an unemployed man with few friends, and said they had become increasingly concerned about his erratic behaviour. He was involved in a road rage incident near Wangaratta last month, where he allegedly threatened a woman with a hammer, but no charges have been laid.

The Tarrawingee man has a history of environmental activism but sources who knew him said he had changed dramatically since protesting logging in the local forest. Nugent’s social media history reveals he previously praised Haines and backed her independent campaign in the area. More recently, his posts focused on international issues, including criticising Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

His father, Rod Nugent, on Tuesday afternoon revealed Haines was a friend for more than 20 years. “What happened to her yesterday is devastating and unfathomable,” he said in a statement.

“All of our love and all of our thoughts are with Helen and her family and friends. We will be assisting Victoria Police in any way we can.”

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said Monday’s incident had happened in an environment where increased levels of grievance, intolerance and polarisation had made violence seem permissible.

“I have repeatedly put on the record my concern about the use of violent rhetoric in public discourse. Words matter,” Burgess said in a statement.

“I genuinely believe the temperature of our security environment would be several degrees lower if we recommitted to conversing with civility, debating with respect and disagreeing with restraint.”

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said 41 people had been charged with offences relating to threats against high office holders, including politicians, since special national security investigation teams were launched last October.

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said extra security measures could be imposed at voting booths at next month’s state election, while NSW Premier Chris Minns said he feared such incidents would deter other people from running for political office.

Independent senator David Pocock described it as a “wake-up call”. “As a male parliamentarian, you get some threats. You get the angry phone calls, the awful emails, the anonymous comments,” he said.

“But I think we’ve got to look at what’s happening to female politicians, and just the ridiculous amount of threats and abuse that they have to cop, and as Australians, we need to stand up and say this is not OK.”

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said Coalition MPs had often discussed the increased threat of political violence as he stressed the importance of keeping an Australian culture of vigorous debate that never crossed the line into violence.

“We need to do everything we can as elected representatives to prevent this ever happening again,” he said.

Nationals leader Matt Canavan said Haines was a “lovely lady” who worked tirelessly for her community, while Greens leader David Shoebridge said the notion that Haines could be targeted for her work was “horrifying, senseless and shameful”.

Hanson described Haines as a “beautiful lady” before blaming Albanese and state premiers for the deteriorating state of political debate. Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, whose own security has been recently upgraded, criticised that response.

“We all have a role to play and it can’t just be finger pointing. I think it’s a bad move to point the finger on a day like this,” he said.

Hanson also revealed she had ordered her cartoon creator to change a One Nation video that mocked Senator Jacqui Lambie’s struggles with vaginal prolapse. After Lambie condemned the cartoon on Monday, Hanson said she should “have a laugh” and “get over it”.

But on Tuesday, she changed tone. “The video went up without my actually seeing it, and I was not aware of the content of the video,” Hanson said.

“It wasn’t as tastefully done as it could have been, and I do apologise for that. I’ve already spoken to them about it and changing that.”

With Nick Newling and Emily Kaine

More from our Helen Haines coverage