Australian MP Helen Haines Loses Both Legs After Car Attack

Source reports published 21 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 22 Oct 2026, 5:02 am AEST

Independent MP Helen Haines has lost both of her legs following a car attack. She remains in a critical condition in Melbourne, with her family expressing hope for her recovery and acknowledging her resilience.

What happened

• Independent MP Helen Haines sustained severe injuries after a car was driven into her outside her electorate office in Victoria’s north-east.
• Her husband, Phil Haines, reported that she had lost both of her legs due to the injuries, stating she is a ‘fighter’ and her family hopes for her recovery.
• Brendan Nugent has been charged with intentionally harming a commonwealth public official.
• Former Indi MP Cathy McGowan attended a vigil in Wodonga and expressed gratitude for Haines’s survival, emphasizing the importance of continued support for her family.
• The attack has prompted concerns about online intimidation of female politicians, with Licia Heath of Women for Election highlighting the potential impact on future female candidates.
• Donations to Save the Children have exceeded $200,000 in response to a request from Phil Haines.

Original reporting

• Guardian: Helen Haines live coverage: Helen Haines’s second leg amputated but she is stable and ‘a fighter’, husband says
  2026-10-21T00:00:00+00:00
• ABC: Live: Helen Haines still critical, more than two days after car attack
  2026-10-21T19:02:30+00:00
• Al Jazeera: What happened to Australian politician Helen Haines?
  2026-10-21T00:00:00+00:00