Helen Haines attack: Suspect Brendan Nugent charged as police allege incident was targeted

A string of posts made on Elon Musk’s platform X show the alleged Helen Haines attacker Brendan Nugent had responded to several politicians.

It included in the comment section of a post made by Foreign Minister Penny Wong in November 2023 where she stated there “is no place for violence, no place for antisemitism and no place for Islamophobia in Australia”.

Mr Nugent had responded: “Pine gap helps Israeli intelligence bomb children in Gaza, Australia is not peaceful”.

Another Senator Wong posted in March 2024 about a ceasefire in the Middle East attracted a comment from Mr Nugent.

“You have not been clear on anything other than giving Israel impunity to kill thousands of children”.

In a response to a X post by Dr Haines in October 2019 about the now-axed ABC Q&A TV program, Mr Nugent appeared to be praising her for taking “climate change seriously”.

“Would’ve been nice to include a politician who takes climate change seriously, such as yourself,” he wrote.

The man accused of mowing down independent MP Helen Haines once praised her commitment to climate change, promoted her election campaign and shared appeals for donations.

But Brendan Nugent’s social media history reveals a former environmental campaigner who later became an outspoken critic of Israel and Australia’s response to the war in Gaza, circulating material defending Hamas and the Houthis while directing angry messages at senior ministers.

The 43-year-old from Tarrawingee, near Wangaratta, remains in police custody after allegedly using his Toyota LandCruiser to repeatedly ram Dr Haines outside her electorate office on Monday afternoon.

The 65-year-old mother-of-three suffered catastrophic lower-body injuries and was airlifted to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery and has reportedly lost a leg.

Nugent’s public X account, operating under the handle @NotLaoTzu, contains almost 11,000 posts dating back to August 2014, revealing years of environmental activism, political arguments and increasingly confrontational commentary about the Middle East.

Read the full story here.

Nationals MP Tim McCurdy, who represents the Victorian state electorate of Ovens Valley, revealed Brendan Nugent had contacted his office on multiple occasions.

Mr McCurdy said the interactions had not involved threats.

“Not down that path, but he’s known to our office as well. So I don’t know whether he’s frequented Helen’s office or not. I’m not clear about that, but he’s been in touch with our office over the journey. So he’s known to us,” he told 3AW.

Mr McCurdy said he had no plans to introduce additional security measures following the alleged attack on Dr Haines, who remains in a Melbourne hospital after losing a leg.

“You can’t help, I suppose, think about these circumstances. And, you know, being a bloke walking around a rural town, I don’t feel threatened at all. But I know there are women colleagues in this role who sometimes can feel threatened. And I hear what they’re saying, and we understand that. And we have to address how we can help them to feel safer and be safer by just doing their job.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with senior police officials on Tuesday morning for a briefing following the horrific attack on independent MP Helen Haines.

Mr Albanese was joined by AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush, Victorian Premier Ben Carroll and Police Minister Paul Edbrooke as investigations into the incident continue.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has been questioned about his Liberal frontbenchers language in parliament after Angie Bell said a Minister should be “shamed and stoned”.

Ms Bell had raised the comments about Small Business Minister Anne Aly in a debate over a tax office decision on credit card payments before swiftly withdrawing them.

When asked at a press conference in Sydney in the wake of Helen Haines alleged attack about the responsibility of parliamentarians to lower the temperature, Mr Taylor said Ms Bell’s withdrawal was “appropriate”.

“Those particular comments were withdrawn, and it was appropriate that they were,” the Liberal leader said.

“But can I say more generally, we have achieved, as a country, extraordinary things with our democracy.

“We have, like so few other countries in the world, avoided political violence.

“And we’ve done that by having vigorous and rigorous debate and choice at the ballot box.

“This is what’s worked for us. We need to make sure it stays there.

“It doesn’t cross the line, and what clearly happened yesterday was right across the line and it was completely unacceptable.”

After Ms Bell’s comments Dr Aly, who is the MP for the WA seat of Cowan, had spoken about 19 death threats she had received in just that week alone via social media.

“I don’t usually comment about these sorts of things, but I feel like I have to. This past week alone, I’ve had 19 death threats on my social media,” she said.

“And in the past I’ve had death threats that are couched in that exact same language ‘stone her’.”

WA Nationals MP Lachlan Hunter has shared his experience receiving death threats and expressed concern the State government wasn’t taking politician safety seriously.

Mr Hunter said he had noticed increased threats and revealed he’d previously written to WA Premier Roger Cook to call for him to act on recommendations in the Morton Review.

“I’m worried. I’ve written to the premier on two occasions now, yet to receive a response about what the government is doing to implement the Morton review,” he told reporters outside WA Parliament on Tuesday.

“But to also ensure that there are safety measures in place for members of parliament, no matter what side of politics they’re on.

“’I’ve received a number of threats being elected only in March last year.

“I received a number of threats when I was a candidate running for public office.

“There needs to be stronger mechanisms in place to ensure that there are protections, not only for members of parliament, but classically for their staff and also for their families.”

The Independent Review of the Employment Arrangements of Electorate Officers was led by former Federal Minister Ben Morton amid a rising tide of public hostility.

Mr Hunter said he had an electorate office which didn’t have security cameras and several sites which were only staffed by a solo woman.

“I would like to see the Premier actually do a security review and audit of not only this building behind me, at Parliament House, but also all electorate offices as well,” he said.

“Because it’s not just the threat of the member of parliament, but it’s also their staff.”

Independent Curtin MP Kate Chaney says she often feels “embarrassed” by the tone of debate in Federal Parliament.

Speaking on ABC Perth radio on Tuesday in the wake of the alleged attack on Indi MP Helen Haines, Ms Chaney said the parliament needed to be more cautious with its language.

“When I started in this job, I’d never watched Question Time on telly all the way through, and I sat there on the first day, absolutely horrified,” she said.

“I’ve tried very hard not to be pulled into that.

“I think we do have an obligation to set the tone. I try and call that out when I can.

“I think it’s a really ugly part of the culture. I think the public hates it.

“I feel embarrassed every time I look up and see a school group coming into the gallery during Question Time.

“I look at the jeering and shouting and heckling that happens, and they don’t get away with that in their classroom.

“I feel embarrassed… that our leaders speak to each other like this.

“We need to do better. The Australian public has a right to expect better of its leaders.”

Helen Haines has lost a leg after the horrific attack on Monday afternoon.

The MP suffered lower-leg injuries after being pinned between two cars out the front of her Wangaratta electorate office.

Ms Haines underwent surgery overnight at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne.

The ABC have confirmed the 65-year-old lost a leg in the incident.

Further updates on her condition have not been provided.

Former Australian Prime Ministers have condemned the alleged attack on Independent Indi MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta electorate office on Monday.

A 43-year-old man allegedly rammed her with a four-wheel-drive twice, leaving her in a critical condition and fighting for life.

Former Liberal PM Scott Morrison said he was “simply appalled and horrified” by the alleged targeted attack and expressed his support for her family and friends.

“Have just returned to Australia this morning to learn of the shocking and reportedly deliberate attack on Dr Helen Haines,” Mr Morrison said.

“I am simply appalled and horrified by this brazen violence.

“Our prayers are with Helen and all those caring for her that she makes a full recovery as well as Phil and all of Helen’s family at this very difficult time.”

Former Labor PM Kevin Rudd echoed his shock and concern for the alleged attack on an Australian politician.

“Political violence has no place in Australia,” Dr Rudd said.

“I am shocked and appalled by the horrific attack.

“In a democracy, we have every right to disagree with one another.

“But acts of violence against eclectic officials are unacceptable, unjustifiable and unAustralian.”

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said in a statement on Tuesday that initial investigations indicated it was an “isolated incident” and there were no known, ongoing threats.

“At this stage it appears this is an isolated incident, and there are no known threats connected to this matter,” she said.

Ms Barrett said Victoria Police’s Security Investigation Unit was leading the probe, supported by the Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Team.

“Victoria Police and the AFP are working closely together to identify potential charges,” she said.

“Which may include state and Commonwealth offences, such as the offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.”

She said the AFP had regularly publicly outlined concerns about the growing threats against high office holders and undertaken measures to assist their safety.

It has included establishing National Security Investigations (NSI) teams in October last year, which she described as a “flying squad of hate disrupters who focus on high-harm, high-impact politically motivated violence, communal violence and hate crimes”

“Since the NSI teams were established, 41 individuals have been charged for offences relating to threats against federal parliamentarians and high office holders,” she said.

“The AFP provides regular briefings to parliamentarians about their safety and security, and further briefings will be undertaken soon.

“The AFP’s thoughts are with Dr Haines and her family at this time.”