A 56-year-old man has been arrested after police allege he walked into state MP Hannah Beazley's electorate office in Victoria Park on Wednesday afternoon carrying nunchucks and made verbal threats towards her staff.
Nobody was hurt. Police say they were called to the office on Albany Highway at about 1.15pm on 21 October 2026 after reports of a man causing a disturbance. Officers found him a short distance away in Bentley, where he was taken into custody. Police say he is assisting with their inquiries, and no charges had been announced by Wednesday evening.
What police say happened
According to police, the man was armed with nunchucks, the martial arts weapon made of two short sticks joined by a chain or cord. The incident is alleged to have happened inside the office, which sits on the busy Albany Highway strip of shops, cafes and restaurants in the heart of Victoria Park.
People working across the road told the ABC they heard loud shouting and swearing coming from the street, louder than the usual noise along that stretch of the highway, and came outside to see what was going on.
The ABC was first to report the arrest, posting it on X shortly before 5pm. WAtoday, 7NEWS, The Nightly and the Australian Financial Review have since confirmed the incident.
What Hannah Beazley said
Ms Beazley, the Labor member for Victoria Park and a minister in the Cook Government, said in a statement that her staff had been through a frightening experience and that her focus was on their welfare.
"I have spoken to my staff, who are understandably shaken and upset by what took place." — Hannah Beazley MLA
She said she did not know what had motivated the man and would not comment further while police investigate. She added that everyone has the right to go about their lives, including at work, without fear of violence.
Ms Beazley is the daughter of Kim Beazley, the former federal Labor leader, ambassador to the United States and Governor of Western Australia.
Why it matters
The incident comes just two days after federal independent MP Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, was run over outside her electorate office. She remains in a critical condition in hospital.
That attack has already put the safety of politicians and the people who staff their offices back on the agenda in WA. The leaders of the state's political parties are due to meet representatives from government, WA Police and the Parliament on Thursday to discuss security.
Premier Roger Cook said on Tuesday the talks would look at recent improvements and at what more could be done. He described three areas of concern: the parliamentary precinct, where security upgrades are already under way; electorate offices; and politicians' homes.
Electorate offices are the most exposed of the three. They are designed to be open to the public, usually sit on suburban shopping strips like Albany Highway, and are often run by a small team of staff who deal with constituents face to face every day. Wednesday's incident in Victoria Park is likely to be front of mind when Thursday's meeting begins.
What happens next
Police are continuing to investigate and have not said whether the man will be charged. Anyone who saw the incident on Albany Highway on Wednesday afternoon, or who has information, can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperswa.com.au.
Source: ABC News, with reporting from WAtoday, 7NEWS and The Nightly.
Photo: Albany Highway, Victoria Park (file photo, not the electorate office), by Bahnfrend via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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