Phil Haines, accompanied by his cousin Jules Muir (left), updates the media on the condition of his wife at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital. (AFP pic)MELBOURNE: Australian lawmaker Helen Haines has had both legs removed, her husband told journalists on Wednesday, after what police called a "targeted" attack.

Haines is in a stable condition at a Melbourne hospital after being struck by a vehicle on Monday near her office in the town of Wangaratta, more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) northeast of the Victoria state capital.

Speaking at the hospital on Wednesday, her husband Phil said that surgeons had been forced to remove both her legs.

"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.