Opposition leader Peter Dutton has spoken about reportedly being targeted in an alleged terror plot, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reached out to support his opponent.
Dutton was the intended target of a 16-year-old boy who is facing court for allegedly buying bomb-making ingredients to prepare for an attack in Brisbane, The Australian has reported.
Dutton was asked about the alleged incident at a press conference this afternoon, where he said his first thoughts had always been about the safety of his family.
“The Australian Federal Police (AFP) do a great job and they have constant discussions and dialogue with us,” he said.
Dutton said he has had the same security detail as the Prime Minister and Governor General Sam Mostyn after his time as immigration minister from 2014-17 when he deported thousands of criminals and oversaw Operation Sovereign Borders.
“There’s been an impact on my family. They’ve been stoic and never complained about the security that’s been around me and my family and federal police at home,” he said.
“But that’s what started the need for security and I wouldn’t change any of that because I know the decisions I took actually stopped further women from becoming victims of rapists and I know that the murders that I deported from our country are no longer a threat to Australian people.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the AFP that my family is kept safe. I’ve never felt unsafe one day in this job.”
Dutton has spent the day fending off questions about the alleged terror plot. Earlier today at a West Australian forum in Perth, he refused to answer a question about it and instead said that politics is “brutal business, no question about it”.
“It’s the reason my three children have been cured of any interest in politics whatsoever and I see it as a small blessing,” he said.
“I feel an immense sense of pride being able to work in the job I work in and it takes a decision at some point in your life that you want to abandon your anonymity and contribute to a country that you love very much.”
Albanese said he contacted Dutton this morning after hearing the reports, adding that there was no place in politics for these types of threats.
“I have reached out to Peter Dutton this morning and it is a fact that the number of threats that have been made to parliamentarians has increased in recent times and that has been reported on by the appropriate authorities,” he said.
“I, myself, have been the subject of a range of issues, at least one of which is before legal processes at the moment.
“They shouldn’t be, there’s no place whatsoever in politics for any of this and I have ensured that any time any member of parliament, regardless of who they are, have asked for support, they have received it.”
Both major party leaders have also been forced to up their security in the wake of protests along the campaign trail ahead of the federal election on May 3.
AFP reports growing threats against politicians
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw, ahead of the federal election campaign trail, told Senate Estimates that there had been an increase in the reports of threats to high office holders, federal politicians, dignitaries and electorate offices.
The numbers grew from 555 in 2021-22 to 1009 in 2023-24.
Australia is on track to surpass that figure this year as there have already been 712 reports from the 2024 financial year to February 28.
“The politicians who have been targeted are across the political spectrum, live throughout Australia and are of different backgrounds,” he said in his opening statement.
“A lot of these threats are directed at male politicians and high office holders. However, the nature of threats and comments directed at female parliamentarians and high office holders are particularly troubling.
“Australia’s politicians and high office holders are being targeted because they have a public profile, because of the comments they have made in the media, or their positions on policy.
“However, in some cases, it appears male offenders are targeting women – because they are women – or women with an ethnic background.”
Six men, aged between 29 to 64, have been charged over five separate incidents in the past 13 weeks.
The AFP has developed election-specific security advice ahead of the federal election and has an incident coordination centre operating seven days a week to manage any incidents related to the election.
“This goes to the heart of protecting our democracy and ensuring the cowards behind the correspondence do not silence the voices who serve and contribute to Australia,” Kershaw said.
