MAN FACES CHARGES OVER THREATS AT HANNAH BEAZLEY’S OFFICE

Police charged a man on Thursday after he allegedly threatened staff while carrying nunchucks at Hannah Beazley’s electoral office in Victoria Park, Perth. Staff called police after the man caused a disturbance on Wednesday afternoon. Police said he made verbal threats while carrying what they called an “improvised martial arts weapon”. Officers arrested him nearby in Bentley, and nobody was injured. Beazley, Western Australia’s local government minister, was away from the office.

Beazley said two staff members were inside when the man allegedly tried to lean through a security screen. She said they kept a safe distance and called police. “He did want access to me, I believe, but we don’t know his motivations at all,” she told reporters. Beazley said her staff were “rattled” and that she had received threats before. Police charged the Bentley man with making unlawful threats, being armed in a way that may cause fear, and possessing cannabis.

The incident followed the alleged attack on federal MP Helen Haines outside her electoral office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday. Haines remained in hospital in a critical condition after a vehicle allegedly ran her over. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it an “awful week” for Australian politicians and said the incident at Beazley’s office was “heartbreaking”. Albanese said he knew Beazley through his friendship with her father, former federal opposition leader Kim Beazley. Police refused the charged man bail, and he was due to appear at Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday.