Prime minister returns to The Lodge after bomb threat
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has returned to his official residence after being evacuated due to a bomb threat, the latest in a series of security threats against politicians.
The incident sparked a major operation by federal police, who moved the prime minister from The Lodge in Canberra to safety around 6pm AEDT on Tuesday.
An Australian Federal Police spokesman said a thorough search of the property was carried out and nothing suspicious was found.
“There is no current threat to the community or public safety,” they said.
In a post on X, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said he was pleased Mr Albanese was safe and condemned threats against politicians as “disgusting”.
“I’m glad to hear the Prime Minister is safe and well after being evacuated from his home in Canberra,” he said.
“Threats against any parliamentarian are utterly disgusting, especially in a country built on expressing our differences through debate.”
The AFP set up a national security investigation team in October 2025 to target individuals who “cause high levels of harm to Australia’s social cohesion, including the targeting of federal parliamentarians”.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett announced that 21 people have been charged across the country since she established the team.
“The majority of these charges relate to threats against MPs, senior office holders and the Jewish community,” he told a parliamentary hearing in February.
A 67-year-old Sydney man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly sending several offensive emails to a federal MP.
Police seized a mobile phone and USB after executing a search warrant in Wollstonecraft in the city’s inner north.
The man was charged with using the carriage service to threaten, harass or cause a criminal offence; This crime was a crime punishable by a maximum of five years in prison.
Meanwhile, last week a 51-year-old man was accused of making online threats against politicians.
The man is due to appear in court in April after federal police investigated social media posts “containing threatening remarks towards two federal MPs”.
The Prime Minister has been the target of threats before; A man was convicted earlier this month of using social media to threaten, harass and cause offense.
The court heard death threats and a graphic insult were directed at Mr Albanese and his wife.
AFP has reported an increasing number of threats against MPs in recent years, including harassment, offensive and threatening communications.
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