Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was evacuated from his official residence in Canberra late on Tuesday (Feb 24) after a reported security threat and returned hours later after authorities found nothing suspicious, according to media and police reports.
Albanese was moved from The Lodge, the prime minister’s residence in the Australian capital, after police responded to what they described as an “alleged security incident” at around 18:00 (0700 GMT).
Preventive relocation
National broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation said the prime minister was taken to another location for several hours as a precaution before being allowed to return.
No permanent threat
The Australian Federal Police said in a statement that officers conducted a thorough search of the protected facility and “did not find anything suspicious”.
“There is currently no threat to the community or public safety,” police added.
“There is no current threat to the community or public safety,” the spokesman added.
Police have not released further details about the nature of the alleged incident.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is tasked with protecting federal MPs and key Commonwealth sites, including The Lodge and Parliament House.
The prime minister’s spokesman said the government had full confidence in the AFP and thanked the officers for their service.
AFP added that more information would be provided later.
Growing threats to politicians
Threats against Australian politicians have intensified, with lawmakers across the political spectrum facing harassment and intimidation.
Independent senators Lidia Thorpe and Fatima Payman were among those targeted and have received threatening letters in recent months, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in mid-2024 that threats to the security of federal politicians had doubled over the previous two years, underscoring growing security concerns around elected representatives.
In a separate incident earlier in February, a Melbourne man was charged with allegedly making death threats and anti-Semitic remarks directed at a federal MP. Authorities did not release further details, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
