Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned that increasingly divisive political rhetoric could contribute to violence, following an attack that left independent lawmaker Helen Haines with life-changing injuries. A 43-year-old man has been charged, while investigators continue examining the circumstances and possible motive.

Independent politician, Helen Haines lost a leg after she was struck by a vehicle that allegedly reversed and hit her again, according to Australian media reports and officials on Tuesday. The incident is being examined by counterterrorism investigators.

Haines, 65, was hit by a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV on Monday outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, a city in the Australian state of Victoria.

Brendan Nugent, 43, who lives in nearby Tarrawingee, was charged Tuesday with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, Australian media reported.

Police suspect the incident was deliberate, but authorities have not publicly established a motive. Albanese has connected the attack to concerns about the increasingly hostile and divided nature of political discourse in Australia.

“It’s clear that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn’t an accident, someone just skidding off the road,” Albanese told ABC News.

The prime minister said initial inquiries indicated that Haines was near the trunk of her vehicle, possibly loading or unloading items, when she was struck.

Severe Injuries Reported

Australian media outlets, citing unnamed sources, reported that Haines lost one leg and that medical staff were attempting to save her other leg.

According to ABC News, Nugent has long supported environmental causes and has frequently commented on political matters online, including Australian government policy toward Israel. He and Haines follow one another on X. In 2019, Nugent responded to one of her posts by calling her a “politician who takes climate change seriously.”

Nugent’s father, Rodney Nugent, and his stepmother, Christine Cunningham, issued a statement expressing support for Haines. They described her as a friend “for more than 20 years” and said they would cooperate with investigators.

“Helen Haines is a deeply respected, valued and much loved member of our local community,” the statement said. “What happened to her yesterday is devastating and unfathomable.”

Witnesses Describe Second Impact

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that witnesses reported the driver reversing after the initial collision and striking Haines again. A bystander subsequently intervened.

Australian media reported that Ricky Jefferies, who operates a nearby barber shop, rushed outside and restrained the suspect, taking a knife away from him. Jefferies initially believed he was witnessing a traffic accident.

“I heard a loud bang with no brakes. It was crazy, I just ran out to the front to see what’s happening,” Jefferies told reporters outside his business.

“I didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation initially, and once it became relevant I just did what I could and what others were already trying to do.”

Attacks of this kind against politicians are uncommon in Australia. Federal and state representatives, including prime ministers, frequently appear in public places, attend community gatherings and meet voters without extensive visible security.

Before entering parliament, Haines worked in nursing and midwifery and pursued an academic career. She won the seat of Indi as an independent candidate in 2019 and retained it in the 2022 and 2025 elections.

Shawn Hill, a Melbourne resident who spoke outside the hospital treating Haines, said the incident reflected growing divisions in public life.

“The political climate is becoming more and more polarizing today,” Hill told Reuters.

“No one deserves to be put at risk of anything, especially someone who is serving the people and trying to do what is best for the Australian community,” he added.

Albanese called on Australians to treat one another with greater respect and voiced concern about increasing political hostility. He also pointed to a “significant increase” in threats directed at politicians in recent years.

“We all have a responsibility to turn the temperature down,” Albanese said. “I really don’t want to see the character of Australia change.”

Politicians Question Whether Gender-Based Violence Played a Role

With investigators yet to establish the suspect’s motive, some Australian politicians have raised the possibility that Haines was targeted in an act of gender-based violence, noting the apparent personal connection between the two.

Australian Labor MP Ed Husic cited the broader toll of violence against women while discussing the attack.

“Fifty-six women in this country have been killed as a result of gender-based violence” in 2026, Husic said, according to local media. “We cannot have women targeted for violence as well, as much as this is a conversation about politics and the nature of politics in this country.”

Ged Kearney, Australia’s deputy minister responsible for preventing family violence, suggested that being a woman in public office can bring additional vulnerabilities.

“There is an added aspect being a woman I think that really heightens your vulnerability in some ways and the ways you go about your business,” she said.

These comments came as authorities continued investigating the attack without publicly confirming a motive.

Suspect’s Online Posts Criticized Government Policy on Israel

Nugent’s apparent social media accounts showed extensive criticism of the Australian government on subjects including environmental policy, disability assistance and its response to Israel’s war in Gaza. The posts reviewed in media reports did not establish a clear personal hostility toward Haines.

A recent post attributed to Nugent discussed reports that Italian authorities were investigating Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and other officials over the handling of activists detained after participating in a Gaza-bound flotilla.

“This investigation also involves sexual abuse, including rape, during processing and detention by Israeli forces,” Nugent wrote.

The investigation cited in the post concerns allegations including torture, kidnapping, personal injury, robbery and property damage. Israel has denied the allegations.

Nugent also shared a video from an account called “Voice of Gaza” discussing food production “in a genocide” and repeatedly circulated fundraising appeals for people in Gaza.

In May 2024, an account attributed to Nugent responded to a statement from Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong with the following criticism: “You have not been clear on anything other than giving israel impunity to kill thousands of children.”

Authorities and media reports have not established a connection between Nugent’s views on Gaza and the attack on Haines.

In an undated statement published on her official website, Haines said she was “appalled by the ongoing loss of life in Gaza.” She called for an immediate ceasefire and greater international pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while also condemning Hamas.

The investigation into the attack remains ongoing, with the suspect’s motive not yet formally established.