Australian Federal Police Launch Probes Into 10 Election-Linked Offences
It wasn't just politicians clocking long hours during the federal election campaign. Over 600 Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers worked tirelessly between March 28 and May 3 to protect all candidates contesting the 2025 election.
According to data from the AFP, this year's election saw 51 crime reports assessed by the Electoral Investigations Coordination Cell (EICC), resulting in 10 formal AFP investigations.
So far, four individuals have been charged with state-based election offences, while 28 matters have been finalised.
Fifteen criminal complaints were either initiated by other agencies or referred for investigation, with six investigations still active and two cases under ongoing evaluation.
'The AFP is marking the successful conclusion of Operation Australis25, delivering protective security measures for all Parliamentarians and candidates in the 2025 Federal Election, including the mitigation of threats and incident response,' the force said in a statement on 19 May.
Complaints And Deployments Managed Nationwide
AFP Commander Mark McIntyre said the force dedicated over 43,000 hours to election operations, including protecting senior officeholders, addressing active and potential threats, and probing election-related criminal complaints.
'In partnership with state and territory police, our teams responded to incidents to ensure candidates and Parliamentarians could campaign without fear of violence or intimidation,' he said.
Related Stories
5/13/2025
5/7/2025
Officers from the Specialist Protective Command were stationed nationwide to implement intelligence-driven security tailored to local threat assessments.
In a separate case, a Ballarat man was charged in April for allegedly sending threatening emails to a federal MP's office on 27 March, just ahead of the campaign period.
Spate of Assaults, Vandalism Peaks In Final Week
Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said the final weeks of campaigning saw a rise in troubling incidents.
'Very vast majority of polling centres and party workers and candidates absolutely doing the right thing,' he told ABC Radio, but noted that certain hotspots in inner Melbourne and Sydney's Wentworth electorate required police involvement.
A volunteer for billionaire Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party was assaulted in Pakenham while distributing how-to-vote cards.
Footage posted by online commentator Rukshan Fernando and later shared by Senator Ralph Babet showed a man in a bike helmet appearing to knee and punch the volunteer.
In NSW's Hunter region, One Nation campaign signage was destroyed, prompting party leader, Senator Pauline Hanson, to share video evidence online.
Meanwhile, Greens candidates also reported vandalism. Posters of Senator Mehreen Faruqi and Grayndler candidate Hannah Thomas were defaced with swastikas in Sydney suburbs Erskineville and Stanmore.
'Incredibly disappointed by some of that behaviour, and we'll continue to call the police and we'll continue to pull whatever levers we possibly can to try and make this the best voting experience for the voter,' Pope said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Former Labor Secretary: Don't Forget the Hardworking Immigrants Targeted by Trump's California Campaign of Terror
"If you report me, I'll report you," is among the most common threats that immigrant workers hear from employers who abuse and exploit them. Immigrants cross continents and oceans seeking a better life, many escaping abuse, violence, and desperate poverty. Once here, they help raise our children, care for our elderly, serve food in restaurants, clean our homes, move products in warehouses, and harvest our produce. They become indispensable to the lives of the communities they call home and the economies that depend on their labor. Police officers clash with demonstrators during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. Police officers clash with demonstrators during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images Many endure brutal working conditions. One tool to keep workers from advocating and organizing is the threat employers make that if workers speak up, they will be deported. For nearly 20 years, I represented low-wage workers in Los Angeles, including those who were trafficked to the United States and held against their will, not permitted to leave their workplace. Invariably, the constant tool of their oppression was the daily threat that if the workers reported their captors, the U.S. government would come for them. Those who justify the Trump administration's campaign of terror on these hardworking communities argue that, because these immigrants shouldn't have come here in the first place, they deserve any mistreatment perpetrated against them. This argument is problematic for three reasons. First, it's unconstitutional. Our Constitution guarantees some protections for all people in the United States. Specifically, the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments' right to due process, which includes the right to be heard and to present evidence in one's defense, and equal protection under the law apply to all "persons," not just "citizens." Given the Trump administration's willingness to throw the Constitution out at their whim, it isn't surprising that they disregard this argument. But that doesn't mean the rest of us should. Second, it's bad economic policy. Undocumented immigrants perform essential labor. Without them, many of the industries we rely on would collapse. This is one reason many corporate leaders and industry associations have been at the forefront of advocating for comprehensive, humane immigration reform. Third, it puts the government on the side of exploitation and against working people. Using workplaces as the site of immigration enforcement makes going to work dangerous. It reinforces the threats employers make, telling workers in no uncertain terms that the government can and will be weaponized against them. The federal government is responsible for enforcing labor laws, not aiding and abetting breaking them. What this administration is doing pushes violations further underground. The Trump administration only knows how to pit communities against each other, but the reality is that working people aren't struggling to pay their rent or mortgage because of immigrants. The anti-worker raids in Los Angeles are just the next front in this administration's ever-escalating war on working people. Immigrant workers are our neighbors, our friends, and co-workers; the coaches on our kids' soccer teams and the adopted tios and tias who celebrate our children's birthdays with us. They're people like my friend, David Huerta, SEIU California president and long-time labor leader. That's one of the reasons the federal government's attacks on immigrant communities in Los Angeles have been met with protest. The Trump administration's plan is to escalate the situation to justify increased violence, detention, deportation, and lawless deployment of power. The administration's pattern of hurting vulnerable communities and then criticizing people for standing by them is intended to create enough confusion that they can get away with anything. But we can't let them. Trump has deployed more than 4,000 National Guards to Los Angeles against the wishes of Governor Gavin Newsom and despite local and state law enforcement officials' response. The last time the president of the United States deployed the National Guard without the state governor's cooperation was 60 years ago when former President Lyndon B. Johnson sent National Guard troops to Alabama to protect protesters marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to advance civil rights. The same move is now being used to incite violence, not prevent it; to promote racism, not combat it. Julie Su is the former acting secretary of Labor and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Australia's defense minister downplays concerns over Pentagon review of multi-billion submarine deal
BANGKOK (AP) — Australia's defense minister dismissed concerns Thursday that a deal between the U.S., Australia and Britain to provide his country with nuclear-powered submarines could be in jeopardy, following a report that the Pentagon had ordered a review. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told Sky News Australia that he had known about the review of the deal 'for some time,' saying that it was a 'very natural step for the incoming administration to take.' He noted that the UK's government also reviewed the deal, the centerpiece of a three-way alliance known as AUKUS after it was elected, and that his own government had looked at it as part of its own review of Australia's entire defense posture. 'I think an incoming government having a look at this is something that they have a perfect right to do and we welcome it and we'll work with it,' he said. The deal, worth more than $200 billion, was signed between the three countries in 2021 under then President Joe Biden, designed to provide Australia, one of Washington's staunchest allies in the region, with greater maritime capabilities to counter China's increasingly strong navy . The deal also involves the U.S. selling several of its Virginia-class submarines to Australia to bridge the gap as the new submarines are being jointly built. In January, Australia made the first of six $500 million payments to the U.S. under the AUKUS deal, meant to bolster American submarine manufacturing. Marles met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of a defense conference in Singapore less than two weeks ago, and told reporters afterward that he had come away with 'a sense of confidence about the way in which AUKUS is proceeding.' 'AUKUS is on track and we are meeting all the timelines that are associated with it,' he said. 'We are very optimistic.' Hegseth's address to the defense forum made multiple mentions of cooperation with Australia but no reference to AUKUS, however, though he did later mention the deal when he was taking questions. Hegseth did urge allies in the Indo-Pacific to increase their defense spending, and underscored the need for a 'strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners' as the U.S. seeks to counter China. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Australia's defense minister downplays concerns over Pentagon review of multi-billion submarine deal
BANGKOK (AP) — Australia's defense minister dismissed concerns Thursday that a deal between the U.S., Australia and Britain to provide his country with nuclear-powered submarines could be in jeopardy, following a report that the Pentagon had ordered a review. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told Sky News Australia that he had known about the review of the deal 'for some time," saying that it was a 'very natural step for the incoming administration to take.' He noted that the UK's government also reviewed the deal, the centerpiece of a three-way alliance known as AUKUS after it was elected, and that his own government had looked at it as part of its own review of Australia's entire defense posture. "I think an incoming government having a look at this is something that they have a perfect right to do and we welcome it and we'll work with it,' he said. The deal, worth more than $200 billion, was signed between the three countries in 2021 under then President Joe Biden, designed to provide Australia, one of Washington's staunchest allies in the region, with greater maritime capabilities to counter China's increasingly strong navy. The deal also involves the U.S. selling several of its Virginia-class submarines to Australia to bridge the gap as the new submarines are being jointly built. In January, Australia made the first of six $500 million payments to the U.S. under the AUKUS deal, meant to bolster American submarine manufacturing. Marles met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of a defense conference in Singapore less than two weeks ago, and told reporters afterward that he had come away with 'a sense of confidence about the way in which AUKUS is proceeding.' 'AUKUS is on track and we are meeting all the timelines that are associated with it,' he said. 'We are very optimistic.' Hegseth's address to the defense forum made multiple mentions of cooperation with Australia but no reference to AUKUS, however, though he did later mention the deal when he was taking questions. Hegseth did urge allies in the Indo-Pacific to increase their defense spending, and underscored the need for a 'strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners' as the U.S. seeks to counter China.
