Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed he has had to change his public engagements after a Queensland man was charged with threatening to kill him.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mr Albanese said the “level of threats” against him had “elevated substantially” in recent times, forcing adjustments to what he could and could not do in public.
“We need to take these issues seriously, and I thank the Australian Federal Police and the authorities for the work that they have done,” he said. “This matter is before the courts now, and the gentleman has been remanded and will appear before the court on Wednesday, so I won’t go into any specifics.”
Highlighting international examples, Mr Albanese added, “We have seen in other countries—the United States, in the United Kingdom—public figures targeted. I have consistently said we need to, wherever possible, turn down the temperature of debate. To agree and disagree respectfully as much as is possible.”
He stressed that Australia’s democracy remained vibrant and free, but acknowledged the impact on his personal life. “It has meant changes to what I am able to do and how I am able to do it… We don’t want to lose the ability to, for example, get dog food for Toto at Woolworths or walk through shopping centres. It’s a great thing about Australians and a great thing about our country. But there are alarms going off, and we should all be conscious of it.”
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested Norman Dean Lake at a property in north of Brisbane, on Saturday morning. He has been charged with one count of using a carriage service to make a threat to kill, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
An AFP spokesperson said the investigation began in March after threats were identified on social media prior to the May federal election. “As this relates to an ongoing investigation, the AFP has no further comment at this time,” the spokesperson told SkyNews.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
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