Mark McGowan’s electorate office in Rockingham has been evacuated after a suspicious item was thrown inside.
Emergency services have descended on the electorate office of West Australian Premier Mark McGowan after a suspicious object was thrown inside, just days before the state election.
A police spokesman confirmed officers were responding to an incident at the Labor leader’s Rockingham office on Tuesday afternoon, which prompted an evacuation.
It has been reported an item wrapped in aluminium foil was hurled inside, alarming staff, but Mr McGowan was not there.
The Railway Terrace office and surrounding businesses were cordoned off, and staff sat outside on chairs as fire crews, police and officers from the ChemCentre’s Hazmat team assessed the scene. Paramedics also stood by.
Seven News said a staff member was complained of a sore throat after the incident, while Nine News reported the Premier was the subject of a death threat at Hillarys on Monday.
The state election this Saturday follows a presidential-style campaign heavily featuring the hugely popular NSW-born 53-year-old, who lives in his electorate with his wife Sarah and three children, and has been widely praised for his handling of the pandemic.
Newly minted Liberal leader Zak Kirkup tweeted: “Any attempted violence or threats like this towards the Premier, his office or any political candidate is abhorrent”.
“The beauty of our democracy is that elections are peaceful – this is a dangerous trend we are seeing worldwide and I condemn it wholeheartedly.”
Mr Kirkup has conceded his party cannot win as Labor sails into a second term.
