Something changed a few years ago. Brendan Nugent had been a reasonably prominent conservationist when Helen Haines – a longtime friend of his family – became his federal MP in 2019. He would sometimes visit his state MP’s electoral office, raising issues about forest preservation. Other locals in the north-east Victorian city of Wangaratta remember him back to his junior footy days, when he played alongside future stars of the AFL.
But a few years later, according to those who knew him, he changed. His physical and mental health issues became more apparent.
