Australian lawmaker Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after being struck by a car in what police described as a “targeted” attack.

Her husband, Phil Haines, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking to journalists at a Melbourne hospital, where she is receiving treatment, AFP reports.

Haines was hit by a car on Monday near her office in Wangaratta, more than 200 kilometres northeast of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state.

Phil said his wife was in a stable condition, describing her survival as the most important thing for their family.

“But the good news in all this is Helen is alive and she’s stable. That is the most important thing for our family,” he said.

“The two most important parts of Helen for us as a family are her heart and her mind,” he added.

“Her heart is huge. She is a very compassionate, caring, loving person.”

The man accused of carrying out the attack, 43-year-old Brendan Nugent, appeared before a court in Wangaratta on Wednesday.

He was charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and the federal offence of harming a public official, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

Court documents obtained by AFP also showed that Nugent was charged with cultivating a cannabis plant and possessing the drug.

He did not apply for bail, and his next court hearing is scheduled for February 4.

The incident has raised concerns about political violence in Australia, where attacks on elected officials are rare, although threats and abuse directed at politicians have increased in recent years.

Australia’s Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, who represents King Charles III in the country, called for greater civility following the attack.

“Australians are yearning for kindness and care, and they’re asking us why we’ve lost the great skill of disagreeing well,” Mostyn said alongside Phil Haines.

Police said the motive for the attack remained unknown and declined to speculate while investigations continued. However, authorities said they were examining all possible leads, including whether Nugent held radical anti-government views.

“Like everyone, we’re examining social media associations, talking to witnesses, friends and colleagues,” Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush told journalists.

Bush said authorities had no prior intelligence on the suspect and had received no indication that he posed an immediate threat before the incident.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett warned of growing extremist views online and increasing threats against elected officials.

“The current criminal threat environment is febrile and when it comes to federal parliamentarians, the AFP continues to record the growing volume of online abuse, threatening rhetoric and intimidation,” she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also expressed support for Haines, who is known for advocating greater transparency in politics and efforts to combat corruption.

He lamented the increasingly heated and personal nature of political debate in Australia in recent years.

“It’s a reminder that the world is a more dangerous and divided place than it was a generation ago,” Albanese told ABC Melbourne radio on Wednesday.

“I think that Australians do want to see their politicians be able to go about their business, to be able to get something from the back of their car, for goodness sake.”

Haines entered parliament in 2019 after working as a nurse and midwife. She is also known for advocating stronger climate action.