Independent MP Helen Haines loses both legs in vehicle attack
Helen Haines is an independent MP for Indi. A vehicle hit her on Monday. She is in critical but stable condition.
Helen Haines is 65 and the independent MP for Indi. A vehicle hit her outside her Wangaratta electorate office on Monday afternoon and both of her legs were amputated.
Haines is now in critical but stable condition. Brendan Nugent is 43 and from Tarrawingee near Wangaratta.
He appeared in court on Wednesday and did not ask for bail. Hundreds of residents gathered for a community vigil in Wodonga on Wednesday night.
Former independent MP Cathy McGowan said the attack went to the heart of Australian democracy. She said women across the region fear for their safety if they enter public life.
State MPs and nine local mayors issued a joint statement. They condemned intimidation and violence against public officials.
They said that decency must outweigh division.
Why it mattersAn attack on a sitting federal MP raises urgent questions about safety for public officials. It may stop women from entering politics.
AustraliaThe attack on a Victorian independent MP threatens the grassroots political culture that has defined regional Indi and may discourage candidates, especially women, from standing for office.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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