Helen Haines: Father of suspect in ‘attack’ on Australian MP says she is long-time family friend

The father of the man suspected of driving his car at Australian MP Helen Haines on Monday says she is a long-time friend of the family. Ms Haines, 65, has undergone surgery to amputate a leg, with health officials saying she is in serious but stable condition in hospital after being hit by an SUV outside her electorate office in Victoria’s northeast on Monday afternoon.A 43-year-old suspect named by Australian media as Brendan Nugent has been arrested but not yet charged over the incident, which is being investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies. Prime minister Anthony Albanese has said the incident was “not an accident”. Brendan’s father Rod Nugent and his partner, Christine Cunningham, issued their first statement on the incident on Tuesday afternoon, saying that they have known Haines “for more than 20 years".A woman leaves flowers outside the electoral office of independent Australian lawmaker Helen Haines, who was deliberately struck by a car outside her office on Monday (Reuters)"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," said the father of the suspect."Helen Haines is a deeply respected, valued and much loved member of our local community,” the family said."All of our love and all of our thoughts are with Helen and her family and friends." Australian barber Ricky Jefferies, who ran out of his store to detain a man who authorities allege deliberately drove a car into Australian lawmaker Helen Haines, speaks in Wangaratta (Reuters)The incident has shocked Australia, a country where political violence is rare and politicians have always been accessible to the public. Most MPs and even senior ministers go about their work and personal lives without being accompanied by security teams.Mr Albanese has called for a calming of political rhetoric in the wake of the incident, and also thanked bystanders for intervening. He said he had spoken on the phone with local barber Ricky Jefferies, who helped detain the suspect."It's a reminder that at the worst of times, we see the best of the Australian character," Mr Albanese said in Melbourne.Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese holds meeting with members of administration following attack on Helen Haines in Wangaratta (AP)Mr Jefferies had earlier told reporters he searched the driver's pockets and removed a knife. Police confirmed a knife had been found. The barber said he did not consider himself a hero."It was crazy," he said. "A lot of people got involved immediately and they didn't even check for danger. They just ran to help." The family of Ms Haines has also released a statement thanking the "swift assistance of bystanders" as well as health workers and police. Ms Haines, 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. She was airlifted later on Monday to a hospital in the state capital, Melbourne, 236km away. The Alfred Hospital, where the parliamentarian is receiving treatment, did not issue a statement on her leg amputation.