Teen charged in Dutton terror plot allegations
Threats to politicians are back in the spotlight, after revelations the Opposition Leader was the target of an alleged terror plot.
The Australian reports a 16-year-old private schoolboy has been charged with buying ingredients to make bombs and testing “homemade explosives” in preparation to launch a terror attack on Dutton at his acreage home north of Brisbane.
The alleged terror plot was believed to be concocted in early 2024, before his arrest in August and involved using a drone.
The teenager was reportedly committed on Thursday to stand trial in Brisbane’s Supreme Court after being charged with a Commonwealth offence of committing acts done “in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act”.
It follows a joint counter-terrorism investigation by federal and Queensland police.
On Friday, Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the case was “incredibly concerning”, before saying she was confident that police and the judicial system would “do the right thing”.
“We expect this sort of thing to happen overseas, but never here,” she said on Friday.
“We can’t let this become the new normal in Australia.”
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Ley noted the revelation added to recent difficult personal news for Dutton, whose father was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack ahead of the first leaders’ debate on Tuesday.
In March, a parliamentary hearing was told threats against politicians and their staff had surged in recent years.
Sports minister Anika Wells said it was an issue MPs dealt with “all the time”.
“You think about your family, who are the unwitting conscripts to your work, and to the impact that the threats might be on them in particular,” she said.
As politicians travel the country ahead of the May 3 federal election, Labor minister Jason Clare hoped the leaders could continue interacting with the public as usual.
“In Australia, in a democracy, you make your arguments with words, not weapons,” he told Sunrise.
“If people want to come up to us and have a chat, they can.
“If they don’t like us, then they might mumble something under their breath or cross the road.
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“You never want to see the sorts of threats of physical violence happen, like we’ve seen overseas.”
BREAKING: We will abolish Labor’s tax on family cars and utes. Saving you thousands when buying a new car.
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) April 10, 2025
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had contacted Dutton after the terror plot allegations emerged.
“It is a fact that the number of threats that have been made to parliamentarians has increased in recent times,” he said.
“I myself have been the subject of a range of issues, at least one of which is before legal processes at the moment. There was a pretty serious incident.”
Dutton was in Western Australia on Friday to spruik a Coalition election pledge promise to abolish penalties for fuel-guzzling cars.
The federal government’s vehicle efficiency scheme is designed to encourage the uptake of electric and more fuel-efficient cars.
It sets emission targets for vehicles and imposes penalties on car manufacturers whose fleets fall short of those limits or if they fail to trade credits with other car brands.
Albanese, meanwhile, has headed to the Northern Territory to announce a $70 million pledge for health and aged care services.
Labor will also commit $60 million to build a new residential care home in Darwin. The facility will deliver 120 care beds for the NT capital, which has the lowest number in the nation.
Albanese will also promise $10.1 million for CareFlight to buy a plane to support medical evacuations and transportation in the NT.
Labor is also committing to delivering an upgraded Medicare mental health centre in Alice Springs, and a youth specialist care centre in Darwin.
