Security concerns stop won't stop Prime Minister Anthony Albanese interacting with Australians, after he was confronted by a man in a Melbourne hotel lobby.
In a video posted to social media by right-wing group Melbourne Freedom Rally on Tuesday night, a man is seen dodging Mr Albanese's security detail to yell questions at him over housing and immigration.
"There are hundreds of thousands of Australians around the country who are unable to afford housing. When are you going to put Australians first?" he says before being escorted away by the prime minister's bodyguards.
The incident called into question the effectiveness of security measures that have been boosted amid increased fears over the safety of politicians on the campaign trail.
Mr Albanese declined to comment on how protesters were gaining access to politicians, citing security concerns.
"I have no intention of going into security discussions," he told reporters while touring a social housing construction site in Melbourne on Wednesday.
"I have faith in the AFP," he said.
"Nothing's stopped me (interacting with the public). Day one, we had a fantastic interaction, me and Jim (Chalmers) … at Fitstop in Marrumba Downs.
"I think it's really important and it's something that I've done. I go into uncontrolled environments, you've seen it happen time and time again."
Protesters have breached security at almost a dozen campaign events so far, mainly members of anti-fossil fuel activist group Rising Tide.
But far-right activists have also been on the march.
A group of about 30 neo-Nazis clad in black and wearing face masks chanted racist slogans outside the Melbourne electorate office of Liberal Senator James Paterson on Sunday.
Last week it was revealed Opposition Leader Peter Dutton had been the target of a foiled terror plot allegedly by a 16-year-old schoolboy.
Both campaigns have maintained tight secrecy around the movements of party leaders to prevent being confronted by assailants.
Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said it was worth pursuing whether the leaders' whereabouts had been leaked.
"We would hope that it doesn't become a genuine security concern," she told Sky News.
"Because one of the best things about Australian politics is the fact that we have, for always and forever, been able to interact with the public without those security concerns in the past."
In February, ASIO chief Mike Burgess said threats of politically motivated violence were elevated, amid heightened geopolitical tensions such as the war in the Middle East.
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw told Senate estimates in March reported threats to parliamentarians and high office holders were on track to reach a new high this financial year after more than 1000 reports in 2023/24.
The AFP is leading security arrangements around the election, establishing Operation AUSTRALIS25 to counter threats against politicians during the campaign.
