An anti-Israel activist has been charged with driving a 4x4 into an Australian MP, causing her to lose a leg.
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her → charge → leg
Eco-warrior Brendan Nugent allegedly ploughed into centrist independent politician Helen Haines, when she was taking belongings from the boot of her car outside her office in the city of Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday.
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she → plough → Monday
Ms Haines, 65, remains in hospital where she is fighting for her life after she suffered severe lower-body injuries in the attack on Murphy Street when she was allegedly repeatedly struck.
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she → remain → Street
The suspect has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a federal official.
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suspect → charge → official
He will appear in court on Wednesday.
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He → appear → Wednesday
Nugent, from nearby Tarrawingee, is accused of ramming into Ms Haines, a mother-of-three and grandmother, with a white Toyota Land Cruiser multiple times.
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Nugent → accuse → Cruiser
It has been reported that medics have had to amputate the victim's leg as surgeons try to save her second leg due to the severity of her injuries.
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surgeons → report → injuries
The incident is an apparent escalation in political violence that has shocked Australia, prompting politicians from across the spectrum to condemn the allegedly 'deliberate' attack at around 3.30pm local time on Monday.
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that → shock → Monday
According to local reports, the suspect's parents have been friends with Ms Haines, the MP for Indi, in the state of Victoria, for more than 20 years.
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parents → accord → years
Helen Haines, 65, lost a leg and remains in a critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery in Melbourne overnight
Nugent has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a federal official.
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Nugent → lose → official
Here Nugent is pictured below a sign which reads: 'Sustainable livelihoods for the greater good of all beings'
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which → picture → beings
Brendan Nugent, 43, was arrested after allegedly driving a Toyota LandCruiser into federal MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta electorate office on Monday
Nugent's family have released a statement declaring they will help police in investigating the attack on Ms Haines.
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they → arrest → Haines
The suspect's father, Rod Nugent, and Rod's partner, Christine Cunningham, said Haines had been their friend for more than 20 years.
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Haines → say → years
They said: 'What happened to her yesterday is devastating and unfathomable.
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happened → say → her
We would like to sincerely thank members of the local community and police who came to Helen's aid yesterday after the shocking and horrific crime.
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who → like → crime
We will be assisting Victoria Police in any way we can.
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we → assist → way
'Helen Haines is a deeply respected, valued and much loved member of our local community.'
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Haines → value → community
A photo posted to Haines' social media showed her smiling alongside Nugent's stepmother in April 2025.
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her → post → April
Nugent was reportedly apprehended behind the wheel of the LandCruiser by local barber Ricky Jefferies, who says the driver had a knife, before police arrived to detain him.
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police → apprehend → him
The suspect has been in police custody since shortly after Ms Haines was struck down and a crowd of bystanders subdued him.
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crowd → strike → him
Nugent will appear in a Wangaratta court on Wednesday, when he could potentially be released on bail.
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he → appear → bail
The incident shocked Australians as political violence is rare here and politicians have always been accessible to the public.
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politicians → shock → public
Most lawmakers are not accompanied by security officers and go about their work and personal lives on their own.
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lawmakers → accompany → own
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said he phoned local barber Ricky Jefferies, who had run from his store to help members of the public detain the suspect, to thank him on Tuesday for intervening.
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members → say → Tuesday
Mr Albanese said: 'It's a reminder that at the worst of times, we see the best of the Australian character.'
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we → say → character
The PM praised Mr Jefferies, describing him as a hero whose intervention may have prevented further injuries.
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intervention → praise → injuries
Mr Albanese said: 'It's got to be said here that at this dark and terrible time, an element of light is the fact that a Good Samaritan, someone rushed to Helen's defence in Wangaratta … and that person is a hero today.
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person → say → Wangaratta
He deserves enormous praise and thanks for his intervention, which could have prevented even more further infliction of damage, which was aimed at Helen.
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which → deserve → Helen
Haines was retrieving belongings from her car boot on Murphy Street when she was allegedly struck repeatedly by the LandCruiser
Barber Ricky Jefferies pulled the alleged attacker from the LandCruiser and restrained him until police arrived
A man wore a ‘this is not us’ shirt in Wangaratta following the attack on Haines
Mr Jefferies earlier told reporters he searched the driver's pockets and removed a knife and police later confirmed a knife had been found.
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knife → retrieve → knife
The barber said: 'It was crazy.
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It → say → ?
A lot of people got involved immediately and they didn't even check for danger.
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they → involve → danger
They just ran to help.'
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They → run → ?
Ms Haines is widely known in Canberra and nationally as a strong voice for integrity and honesty in politics.
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Haines → know → politics
She played a key role in establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission and has been a prominent advocate for rural issues, especially healthcare.
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She → play → issues
Ms Haines's family released a statement, asking Australians to think of her.
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family → release → her
They said: 'We thank the swift assistance of bystanders and the dedicated health workers who assisted her, and police for their response.
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who → say → response
Our family, and Helen's staff, will be making no further comment at this time, and ask that their privacy be respected by the public and media.
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privacy → make → public
Ms Haines's family said they are grateful for the 'swift assistance of bystanders' as well as medics and police.
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they → say → bystanders
The MP, who was first elected to Parliament in 2019 and had been reelected twice since, was initially taken to a hospital in Wangaratta, a city of 30,000 people.
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who → elect → people
She was airlifted later to a hospital in the state capital, Melbourne, 236km (147 miles) from the scene.
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She → airlift → scene
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
