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Australia’s prime minister was temporarily moved from his official residence in Canberra following what authorities described as a security incident.
Police later said no suspicious items were found and confirmed there was no ongoing risk to the public, reports The Mirror.
Incident at The Lodge
Emergency services were dispatched to The Lodge, the prime minister’s residence near Parliament House, at around 6pm AEDT on Tuesday.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said it responded to an “alleged security incident” at the property.
“A thorough search of a protection establishment was undertaken and nothing suspicious was located. There is no current threat to the community or public safety. Further information will be provided at an appropriate time,” the AFP said.
Anthony Albanese was relocated as a precaution and returned to the residence shortly after 9pm once checks were completed.
Security response explained
Former AFP Detective Superintendent David Craig, who previously served as a prime ministerial bodyguard, said the decision to evacuate the prime minister indicated the matter was taken seriously.
“This isn’t a some online threat… There must be some corroboration to it for (police) to act this way,” he told Sky News Australia.
“They will have a number of plans, and depending on the the objective or the vector of the threat, those plans will be enacted and the response will be appropriate,” he added.
Rising threats
The incident follows recent warnings from AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett about increasing risks faced by elected officials.
“We are witnessing the continued rise of individual grievance, including those who are willing to make threats in the online world and then carry them out,” Barrett told a Senate Estimates committee.
According to the AFP, hundreds of threats are made against members of parliament across all levels of government each year.
Sources: The Mirror, Sky News Australia, Australian Federal Police
