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 Australian political leaders over 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 reportedly lost a leg.
Nugent’s X account, operating under the handle @NotLaoTzu, has almost 11,000 posts dating back to August 2014, documenting years of environmental activism, political arguments and, more recently, outspoken commentary about the Middle East.
Yet his documented exchanges with Dr Haines were quite benign.
In October 2019, he praised the newly elected independent after she promoted an episode of the ABC’s Q+A program discussing climate change and the future of Australian farming.
“Would’ve been nice to include a politician who takes climate change seriously, such as yourself,” he wrote.
He also reposted her campaign announcement and fundraising appeals, and defended independent candidates against what he called “LNP-funded anti-independent propaganda”.
In June 2020, Nugent questioned Dr Haines about support for forestry workers after she announced assistance for the sector.
“Hi Helen, what was the support given?” he asked.
Four months later, he responded with a simple “lol” after Dr Haines joked that her talking points on proposed federal anti-corruption legislation had been leaked.
The pair followed one another on X. Greens senator David Shoebridge was also among Nugent’s followers.
But his enthusiasm for independent politicians in Indi stretched back years before Dr Haines entered Parliament.
On August 31, 2014, Nugent celebrated former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella’s defeat by independent Cathy McGowan at the previous year’s federal election.
“When I’m having a bad day I think of Sophie Mirabella’s total humiliation..…..then I laugh my arse off, so proud of home,” he wrote.
That same month, he repeatedly contacted Ms McGowan on Twitter, urging her to support campaigns against native forest logging and the destruction of water catchments.
Nugent’s profile describes him as a “Plant Person” who believes “The world should be run by dogs and children”.
Before his arrest, he had been involved in environmental campaigns against native forest logging in Victoria’s Strathbogie region.
He holds a Master of Forest Ecosystem Science from the University of Melbourne, according to The Guardian, and was formerly a committee member of conservation organisation Save Our Strathbogie Forest.
Group chairperson Bertram Lobert told the ABC Nugent had been an active member for about two years before the COVID-19 pandemic, travelling an hour from his Tarrawingee home to attend meetings.
Mr Lobert described him as intelligent, environmentally committed and someone who generally got along well with others.
He said he had not heard from Nugent in recent years and was shocked to learn of his arrest.
Nugent’s earlier social media activity focused heavily on environmental causes, particularly opposition to native forest logging and criticism of Victorian forestry policy.
He frequently contacted politicians directly, challenging environmental decisions and accusing governments of ignoring scientific evidence.
In November 2019, Nugent responded to then-Victorian Nationals MP Steph Ryan’s warnings about the economic consequences of ending native forest logging.
He accused her of having “absolutely no idea about Victorian forestry” and disputed her claims about the industry’s contribution to employment.
His environmental activism also included detailed posts about ecological research, threatened species, bushfire behaviour and forest management.
But following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, his account increasingly shared commentary about the Middle East conflict, including material defending Palestinian armed resistance and disputing accounts of atrocities committed during the attacks.
On October 7, the account reposted footage of Palestinian militants using a bulldozer to breach the border fence between Gaza and Israel.
In the following weeks, it amplified commentary questioning reports about Israeli babies killed during the attacks, alongside statements attributed to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah portraying Hamas’s operation as a response to decades of Palestinian suffering.
In January 2024, Nugent shared material presenting Hamas’s account of the October 7 attacks, while later reposting Australian commentator Caitlin Johnstone’s essay titled “Why I Don’t Condemn Hamas For October 7”.
Nugent also personally defended the actions of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement.
On January 12, 2024, he confronted Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles after the Defence Minister defended US and British strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
“’Unjustifiable attacks’? They are trying to stop more mass murder of innocent people, mass murder that you are assisting with,” Nugent wrote.
He went on to accuse the Australian government of complicity in atrocities in Gaza and argued that the Houthis were targeting ships supplying Israel.
In a subsequent exchange, Nugent characterised Houthi attacks on commercial shipping as a non-lethal attempt to prevent further Palestinian deaths.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong was another target.
Responding to her condemnation of the April 2024 killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza, Nugent described the government’s response as an insult to her life.
In another exchange, he dismissed Senator Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a “Couple of US lap dogs” over their positions on Israel.
He also criticised Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over Israeli military operations.
Alongside his political attacks, Nugent repeatedly encouraged followers to support humanitarian fundraising efforts in Gaza.
On August 25, 2024, he published several appeals seeking donations for children and medical services.
“Help the children of Gaza, please donate if you can,” he wrote.
“Any donation small or large to this much needed cause is a great help, please give from the heart,” he wrote alongside another fundraising appeal.
Nugent’s online activity is being examined by police and counterterrorism authorities as they investigate the alleged attack on Dr Haines, according to The Australian.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said witnesses described the LandCruiser driver making a U-turn before allegedly striking Dr Haines, reversing and hitting her again as she stood near the boot of her car outside her Wangaratta office about 3.35pm.
Local barber Ricky Jefferies intervened, restraining the driver until police arrived.
Police seized a knife from the vehicle.
Nugent was known to police and has reportedly undergone a mental health assessment, according to the ABC.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the investigation appeared to concern an isolated incident and there were no known connected threats.
Victoria Police is leading the investigation, supported by the AFP and ASIO, with detectives considering potential state and Commonwealth charges.
More to come....
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