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Australian federal lawmaker Helen Haines has had both legs amputated and remains in critical condition after being struck repeatedly by a vehicle in her hometown of Wangaratta on Monday, her husband said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. The 65-year-old independent was flown by helicopter to a Melbourne hospital for treatment.
Family updates and medical situation
Phil Haines, the lawmaker’s husband, said doctors removed her left leg on Monday and amputated the right leg on Wednesday after they abandoned hope of saving it. “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. He added that both her “heart and her mind are in good shape” and noted the couple will mark their 40th wedding anniversary in November.
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Accused driver appears in court
Earlier Wednesday, 43-year-old Brendan Nugent of nearby Tarrawingee made an initial appearance at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on charges of intentionally causing serious injury, dangerous driving causing serious injury and causing harm to a federal official, The Associated Press reported. Nugent did not apply for bail or enter a plea and will remain in custody until his next court appearance in February. Police have not yet determined a motive.
Nugent’s lawyer, Chirag Patel, told Magistrate Allison Vaughan that his client may be suffering from mental health issues but had never been formally diagnosed. Patel also said Nugent has a neurological condition called idiopathic transverse myelitis and had sustained a concussion; the lawyer did not explain how the concussion occurred. Idiopathic transverse myelitis damages the spinal cord’s protective myelin sheath and can cause rapid muscle weakness, sensory loss, pain and bladder and bowel dysfunction, according to the Cleveland Clinic medical center.
Witnesses described the driver ramming Haines, pinning her against her own car before reversing and striking her a second time, the AP reported.
Debate over politicians’ security
The attack has prompted debate in Australia about how to balance personal security for lawmakers with the long-standing practice of keeping them accessible to the public. Most Australian federal parliamentarians do not have personal security details and routinely meet constituents in public and at electorate offices.
Senior opposition lawmaker James Paterson urged a review of parliamentarians’ personal security. “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. He added, “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.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking to News24, called for continued engagement between lawmakers and the public while ensuring safety. “We want to make sure that people can feel as much comfort as possible that everything’s being done to maximize security,” he said. “I think parliamentarians across the board are determined to make sure that we can continue to engage as we need to in this great democracy of ours.”
Security briefings and resources
Australian lawmakers began online briefings with national security agencies on Wednesday to discuss safety measures; Prime Minister Albanese described the sessions as an “opportunity for people who feel anxious to be able to ask questions” of security officials, the AP reported. The Australian Federal Police provide personal protection only for those assessed to be at higher risk, and the prime minister is always protected.
Federal Police Commissioner Kissy Barrett cautioned that extending police protection to all 226 federal lawmakers would require an “incredible amount of resourcing.” Barrett told reporters the force received 1,067 reports of threatening, harassing, nuisance and offensive communications against high officeholders, including federal lawmakers and their staff, in the last fiscal year — a 12% increase over the previous year — and that almost one suspect a week was charged over such threats.
Broader context
The AP noted that Australia has not experienced the same level of political violence seen in some other countries, but that authorities elsewhere have warned of growing threats to lawmakers. The report cited recent violent incidents abroad, including attacks and assassination attempts in the United States and the United Kingdom, as part of the broader international backdrop against which Australian officials are reviewing security arrangements.
