Man charged with attack on Australian MP as suspect's father says she is family friend

A 43-year-old man has been charged after Australian MP Helen Haines was hit by a car in Victoria state on Monday.

The suspect will appear in court on Wednesday to face charges of dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and the federal offence of causing harm to a public official.

Local media earlier named the alleged attacker as environmental activist Brendan Nugent. His father and his partner said they had been friends with Haines "for more than 20 years" and thanked residents and officers who helped her after the "shocking and horrific crime".

Haines remains in a critical condition after surgery and is reported to have lost one of her legs.

"Helen Haines is a deeply respected, valued and much loved member of our local community," Rod Nugent and his partner Christine Cunningham said in a statement.

"All of our love and all of our thoughts are with Helen and her family and friends."

They promised to assist Victoria Police "in any way we can".

Police say they will allege the incident was targeted.

Haines, 65, the independent member for Indi, is in a critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery at a Melbourne hospital.

She was airlifted there after bystanders rushed to help as the suspect allegedly struck her twice outside her office in Wangaratta.

The driver reportedly did a U-turn to get into position before hitting her, then reversed and hit her again, the home affairs minister told national broadcaster ABC.

She was pinned between two cars and later lost a leg, the ABC reports. The outlet also says doctors are fighting to save her other leg.

A local barber says he pulled the suspect out of his car and took a knife from him.

"I just wasn't comfortable with his movements so I took it out of his pocket and threw it away," Ricky Jefferies told reporters.

"I don't think I'm a hero. I think that I was just a person who had an opportunity to intervene in a safe-ish way."

Others who helped "didn't even check for danger," Jefferies said. "The car was still on and they sat in front of a rolling car, that's not an exaggeration."

In their statement, Victoria Police say a highway patrol unit was nearby at the time of the incident and "on scene" within eight seconds of the call coming through.

As they announced the charges against the 43-year-old, they said they had searched a property in Tarrawingee, around 12km (7.5 miles) from Wangaratta.

"At this stage it appears this is an isolated incident, and there are currently no other known threats connected to this matter," they said, adding officers would maintain a presence in Wangaratta.

Haines won the seat of Indi as an independent in 2019, and has since become a prominent member of the crossbench, building rapport across Australia's increasingly divided political spectrum.

The community, and country, remain in shock.

At a vigil on Tuesday, locals queued patiently in the aisle of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, waiting for their turn to light a candle. Priests hugged some of those who came to pay their respects.

Wangaratta's main street, where Haines's office is located, had reopened to traffic. Cars slowly filed past the growing number of bouquets being left for her on the pavement.

One card read: "May you recover quickly and continue to be a light in this world."