Man Charged with Threats at Hannah Beazley's Electoral Office

A 56-year-old man has been charged after allegedly wielding a pair of nunchucks and making threats at the electoral office of WA Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley.

Police responded to reports of a man causing a disturbance at Ms Beazley's office in Victoria Park, 4 kilometres south-east of the Perth CBD, around 1.15pm yesterday. The man allegedly threatened staff at the office while in possession of an "improvised martial arts weapon".

Nobody was injured in the incident and the man was arrested in the nearby suburb of Bentley. Ms Beazley was not in the office at the time.

The man, from Bentley, has been charged with making unlawful threats, being armed in a way that may cause fear and possessing cannabis. His bail was refused and he is expected to face Perth Magistrates Court later today.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the incident added to what had been an "awful week" for Australian politicians.

"The fact that you had this incident so soon after the tragedy that occurred with Helen Haines in Wangaratta on Monday is just heartbreaking," he said.

Mr Albanese said he knew Ms Beazley "very well" through his friendship with her father Kim Beazley, a former federal opposition leader and deputy prime minister.

"[Kim Beazley was] a great Australian, a former Labor leader … and Hannah has carried on that tradition in such a strong way," he said.

Beazley Speaks Out

Ms Beazley said it was a "confronting situation" and that her staff were left shaken and upset.

"I immediately jumped to concerns for [my staff], and to be honest concerns of getting home and being able to have a conversation with my kids before they found out from anyone else," she said.

Premier Roger Cook said he was "appalled by the threatening incident", saying no-one should have to face threats or feel unsafe just doing their job.

He said he was considering blocking off the Parliament House car park to the public as part of new security measures.

"Our MPs want be connected to their community, they want be accessible, but we have to balance that with their sense of security, but also their actual security," he said.

Security Measures and Social Media

One Nation Western Australia leader Rod Caddies linked the increased hostility to current cost of living pressures, and what he called "24-hour social media outrage culture" which he said "amplifies grievance and tends to turn debate into personal hatred".

"I think every person in society needs to take responsibility of what they do individually, that includes politicians," he said.

"We need to keep trying to change the mindset in society that violence is wrong, and I don't think the answer is treating a symptom, I think we need to look at always trying to find a way of fixing the cause."

"I think how I lead WA is very positive,"

he said, when asked whether he felt responsible for One Nation's federal leader Pauline Hanson's controversial personal attacks on Jaquie Lambie and Andrew Hastie.