Calls are growing for a revamp of protection procedures for MPs following the shocking alleged attack on Helen Haines, as senior police and politicians warn of escalating threats and abuse.

The federal Member for Indi remains in a critical condition after being struck by a four-wheel drive car outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, in northern Victoria, on Monday afternoon.

Doctors were unable to save one of her legs, and her husband, Phil, is set to provide an update on her condition at 5pm at Melbourne’s The Alfred hospital.

The man accused of deliberately running her down, Brendan Nugent, faced court for the first time on Wednesday and was remanded in custody on three charges: Dangerous driving causing serious harm, intentionally causing serious harm and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official.

Documents later released by Wangaratta Magistrates Court showed the 43-year-old Tarrawingee man has also been charged with cultivating cannabis and possessing cannabis. Police raided his property on Tuesday.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush told journalists on Wednesday that the investigation was “far from complete” and police were not ruling out further serious charges.

Asked if an attempted murder charge was on the table, Bush said: “That’s always a consideration. Of course, we have to locate and follow the evidence, but this is a very serious and tragic incident and we will be looking at all serious charges…”

A joint counter-terrorism taskforce combining Victorian and federal police and spy agency ASIO is investigating the alleged attack.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said establishing the motivation behind it was a priority.

“The shocking alleged attack yesterday is what many had been dreading for some time,” Barrett told reporters.

“Commonwealth parliamentarians have become increasingly worried about threats directed at them and their staff.”

Barrett said the AFP and other security agencies were also concerned about “the number of individuals being warned and being charged about their behaviour, particularly their online threats and abuse”, adding that nearly one person a week on average was being charged with targeting federal parliamentarians and high office-holders.

“The current criminal threat environment is febrile,” she said.

Helen Haines remains in a critical but stable condition. Photo: AAP

The alleged attack on Haines has prompted debate over whether the security around MPs is adequate, with ASIO and the Australian Federal Police holding briefings for politicians on Wednesday.

Independent MP Monique Ryan is one of a number of politicians of all stripes who have noted increasing threats to their personal safety.

“Just in the last 24 hours, my office has had at least two individuals who we’ve had to talk to the police about,” Ryan said.

Victorian MP Georgie Purcell said much of the abuse and “online gendered violence” she experienced was by the same repeat offenders, which created a “fear of escalation”.

“We have quite insufficient rules when it comes to even alerting authorities to threats to our safety,” Purcell told News24.

“And certainly, if we had that centralised place where they knew your story, they knew people that were repeat offenders, fixated people, potential escalations, that would really mean a lot to me.”

But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said politicians needed to be able to shop, go to community events, and freely engage with people.

“It has to be the case in my view, very strongly, that we need to be able to attend community events, festivals – we need to be able to go shopping, and to engage with people in the queues of Aldi or Woolies or Coles,” Anthony Albanese told News24 on Wednesday.

“People do need to go about their business, and people need to be also not wary about running for public office.”

Anthony Albanese met with senior security officials in Melbourne after the attack. Photo: AAP

Barrett said putting bodyguards around every elected official would be a mammoth undertaking.

“That would be an incredible amount of resourcing,” she told reporters.

“It is not always a full close personal protection team, indeed there are circumstances where that is the case, but there are layers of protection.”

Bush added that Victoria’s police were mobilising ahead of the state’s November election.

“We are … leveraging our state command and coordination centre to ensure that we are right across any potential threats, especially leading up to the election, against any politicians,” he said.

Protection of elected officials received a funding boost in May’s federal budget, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday.

An AFP spokesperson told AAP the agency does not comment on specific protection measures.

There was no specific prior intelligence Nugent might attack Haines, who has been described as a well-liked and respected MP within her community and the parliament, authorities said.

Australian politicians are “uniquely accessible to the public”, according to opposition defence spokesman James Paterson.

“They are very exposed, and that’s not just a risk to us – that’s a risk to our staff, to our family members, and to our constituents,” he told ABC Radio.

Politicians are especially conspicuous within their communities, which Paterson said could put a target on their back.

“Helen, by reports, was parking in front of or near her electorate office in a way that she could be identified … that is a risky moment for a member of parliament – I think we should really consider whether that’s a wise arrangement.”

–with AAP