An election is due by May, and today I want to provide some practical information about the safety and protection of parliamentarians and high office holders for the weeks and months ahead.
I have sobering information I need to share, and at end of this hearing, can I encourage you all to think about your plans for the upcoming poll, and consider providing the AFP with relevant details so we can make informed decisions, and provide you with necessary advice.
The number of reports of threats to high office holders, federal parliamentarians, dignitaries and electorate offices continue to grow.
- In 2021-22, there were 555 reports;
- In 2022-23, there were 709 reports;
- In 2023-24, there were 1,009 reports; and
- This financial year, as of 28 February, 2025, there have been 712 reports. At this rate, the number of threats this financial year will surpass those in 2023-24.
The politicians who have been targeted are across the political spectrum, live throughout Australia and are of different faiths.
A lot of these threats are directed at male politicians and high office holders, including cases where offenders have sent bullets in the mail.
But the nature of threats and comments directed at female parliamentarians and high office holders is particularly troubling, with a common feature being offensive material centred on derogatory language about their appearance.
Some of this material also contains extremely violent themes, including threats of graphic, sexual violence.
These threats, which are being made online or are being sent in the post or over the phone, are sometimes also directed at their children.
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.
The AFP will not tolerate this criminality and will take swift action.
While not all reports of crime will reach a criminal threshold, and not all parliamentarians and high office holders will want us to lay formal charges, I encourage you to please report them.
Many times, a blue uniform knocking on an offender's door is enough to stop the harassment.
And usually, when we knock on their door, they are shocked to see us - one, because they probably thought we could not identify them, and two, because they say they never meant to cause offence.
Well, in my view that's ridiculous. Free speech does not extend to freely expressing how they plan to kill someone or sexually assault them. Where we can, and where we have the willingness of victims, we lay charges.
In the past 13 weeks, we have charged six men, in five separate incidents for threatening parliamentarians and one man for allegedly threatening a political organisation.
Their ages range from 29 years to 64 years.
While these are concerning statistics, our febrile environment in Australia is similar to many other democracies.
COVID-19 has contributed to a growing distrust in traditional institutions and polarised community views.
And anonymising platforms have emboldened people to make comments and threats from a distance.
In Australia, we are recording an increase in issue-motivated extremism, and offenders who are quickly willing to use violence to further their cause.
For those at the table today, and more broadly across the parliament, there is formal protective security advice in the Stay Secure booklet.
We also provide advice on planned official engagements, which enables the AFP to assess whether a parliamentarian's activities may present an increased security risk - this is a standard practice and will continue post-election.
Not all offices do this - but I encourage you all to consider the offer.
The AFP's Taskforce FREMONT has developed election-specific protective security advice.
This has been prepared in consultation with key Commonwealth agencies and offers practical advice to address key campaigning risks for parliamentarians.
This advice is available for parliamentarians and their staff to reinforce the importance of personal security, as well as the reporting mechanisms for responses and intervention where required.
Right now, our Security Protection Diplomatic Liaison teams around the country are engaging with parliamentarians and their staff.
The AFP has also established Operation AUSTRALIS25, which is supported by Commonwealth agencies and state and territory law enforcement partners to enable a coordinated, rapid response for triaging, assessing and acting upon threats and reports of crime.
An Incident Coordination Centre will operate seven days a week and will manage of all operations and information related to the Federal Election.
Thank you, I wish you all a safe campaign, and we are happy to take questions.
