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April 26, 2025
A senior Coalition frontbencher has condemned the "unacceptable" acts of political vandalism this Federal Election campaign after another attack on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's office in Brisbane's north-west.
Images emerged on Saturday of paint splashed across the front of the Arana Hills building, while a front door window was also smashed in.
The incident comes just eight days after the same office in Mr Dutton's Dickson electorate was graffitied with the words "maggot" and "scum".
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson told Sky News Australia the "unacceptable" vandalism of political offices was now "out of control".
"Unfortunately this is an increasingly frequent occurrence, not just targeting Peter's office - although his has been targeted a number of times - but targeting members of parliament all around the country with graffiti and even more serious acts of violence," Mr Paterson said.
"We saw one electorate office belong to a Labor member firebombed in my home city of Melbourne. This is out of control and it's totally unacceptable."
Mr Paterson said it was imperative Australia instead maintained a long-standing tradition of having "political violence-free elections".
"Because if we have more acts of violence like this it will change our political system fundamentally and forever in a way that I think we'll all regret," he said.
"It's critical that the people who are responsible for this are identified, prosecuted and held to account to the fullest extent possible under the law."
The Arana Hills building was also targeted in a similar incident in November last year when extensive red and yellow graffiti covered the facade of the office.
Several other MPs and political candidates have been targeted by vandals this year.
In March, campaign posters of Liberal candidate for Wentworth Ro Knox were graffitied with Nazi symbols in Sydney's east.
Photos showed a Hitler moustache scribbled on Ms Knox's election signage in the suburb of Rose Bay, and the incident was reported to police.
In Queensland, LNP MP Andrew Wallace lodged a complaint with police after a number of his election signs were also vandalised with Nazi graffiti at the end of March.
Earlier this month, vandals allegedly defaced a parked Liberal Party campaign vehicle with faeces in Goulburn in New South Wales.
Meanwhile, Kooyong Teal MP Monique Ryan issued a public apology last month after her husband was filmed removing a campaign sign of her Liberal opponent, Amelia Hamer.