In brief
- The threat — which mentioned Chinese dance troupe Shen Yun — falsely claimed that explosives had been placed around The Lodge.
- "There is no current threat to the community or public safety," the AFP said.
The Chinese embassy in Australia says it "opposes all forms of violent attacks" after a dance troupe banned in China was referenced in a bomb threat that forced an evacuation of The Lodge.
The threat, seen by SBS News, falsely claimed that explosives had been placed around Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's official residence and would be detonated if performances by Shen Yun — a performance group linked to spiritual movement Falun Gong, which is critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — went ahead in Australia over the coming month.
"If you insist on proceeding with the performance, then the prime minister's Lodge will be blown into ruins and blood will flow like a river," the message read.
Shen Yun's organisers in Australia received the threat and relayed it to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Tuesday — which prompted the evacuation, while Albanese was there, at about 6pm.
"We have noticed relevant reports but have no knowledge with what happened," a Chinese embassy spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. "China always opposes all forms of violent attacks."
The spokesperson was, however, critical of Shen Yun and Falun Gong, labelling the cultural show as a "political tool" used by the spiritual group "to disseminate anti-China narratives and cult ideology".
SBS News was told police were sent to Albanese's residence, and he was moved to another location for a number of hours while the threat was investigated. Police later gave the all clear.
"A thorough search of a protection establishment was undertaken and nothing suspicious was located," a statement from the AFP said.
"There is no current threat to the community or public safety."
Albanese later posted on social media thanking the AFP.
He posted a photo of his dog, Toto, who he described as "on alert but all good".
"Thanks to AFP for your ongoing work and professionalism and to people who sent kind messages of care and support."
China, Shen Yun and Falun Gong at odds
Shen Yun's tour is set to begin on Wednesday night on the Gold Coast and will continue across several cities through March.
Chinese authorities are critical of the dance troupe and of Falun Gong, both of which have been banned by the Chinese government, with the latter labelled an "evil cult".
The movement has long accused Chinese authorities of illegally harvesting organs from its members — allegations China denies — and rejects that characterisation.
Shen Yun describes itself as a "brilliant artistic revival and celebration of China's rich cultural heritage" which, after many years of CCP rule, has been lost".
Ahead of this year's shows, Melbourne's Chinese consulate in January accused it of spreading "fallacies and heresies", and that Shen Yun's performances "contain hidden political elements and maliciously slander the Chinese government".
Threats to politicians rise
The threat was the latest in a series of politically motivated threats against parliamentarians, the AFP confirmed, with 950 incidents investigated in the 2024/25 financial year.
The number of threats made against MPs in 2024/25 was 63 per cent higher than the previous four financial years combined.
Speaking to the ABC on Wednesday morning, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the incident was "very troubling".
"The prime minister has been saying it for months, we need to take the temperature down," she said.
"This isn't our country, we've seen in other countries where there [is] political violence and threats against politicians, but here in Australia, we're lucky to get around and mix with the community."
The Labor frontbencher said she couldn't remember a time when an incident like this had occurred, and suggested the "online world" had inflamed political tensions.
"It would be great if people could disagree without issuing a death threat or threatening someone's life at work, that's for sure," Gallagher said.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor said he was pleased to hear the prime minister was safe after evacuating.
"Threats against any parliamentarian are utterly abhorrent, especially in a country built on expressing our differences through debate," he said on social media.
Greens senator Nick McKim echoed the sentiment and said all Australians must "be careful and make sure that we try to keep our political debate ... on civil terms".
"We should argue our positions strongly and forcefully, but there is a line that we don't want to cross," he told ABC TV.
The threat reflected a deterioration of where Australia is heading, Nationals leader David Littleproud told Sky News, also urging people to be civil when engaging in political debate.
"I get everyone's got to have a cause these days ... but there's a forum in which you can do that without perpetrating hate and violence against any of the elected officials," he said.
The AFP set up a national security investigations team in October 2025 to target people "causing high levels of harm to Australia's social cohesion, including the targeting of federal parliamentarians".
AFP commissioner Krissy Barrett revealed 21 people had been charged nationwide since she established the team.
"The majority of these charges relate to threats towards parliamentarians, high office holders and the Jewish community," she told a parliamentary hearing in February.
This incident comes after a man was arrested and charged for allegedly throwing a rock and a fake explosive device through the window of Canberra's Hyatt Hotel last week.
— With additional reporting by Australian Associated Press.
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