A self-described far-right tradesman has been arrested and charged by Australian authorities following an alleged online threat to kidnap the nation's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. The incident occurred in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach mass shooting that shocked the country.
Arrest and Charges Following Online Threat
Nathan Ballesty, aged 27, was taken into custody at his home in Beacon Hill, on Sydney's northern beaches, on Sunday evening. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege that between the early hours of Friday and late Sunday, Ballesty used a carriage service to threaten serious harm against a federal parliamentarian. Court documents later confirmed that the politician in question was Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The AFP's newly established National Security Investigations team swiftly launched a probe, tracing the alleged threat back to Ballesty. During a raid on his property between 6pm and 8:30pm on Sunday, officers seized several electronic devices for forensic examination. Police further allege that Ballesty failed to comply with directions to provide access to these devices during the search.
Strict Bail Conditions Imposed
Ballesty was taken to Manly Police Station and formally charged with two offences: using a carriage service to threaten serious harm, and contravening an order to provide access to an electronic device. He faced Manly Local Court on Monday, where Magistrate Ian Guy granted him bail under a stringent set of conditions.
The bail terms explicitly prohibit Ballesty from contacting any members of Parliament or their offices. He must adhere to a nighttime curfew, surrender his passport, and is banned from accessing encrypted applications like Discord. He is also restricted to possessing only one mobile phone, must report to police three times weekly, and is forbidden from consuming drugs or alcohol unless prescribed. Additionally, he is required to consult a GP and accept any reasonably recommended treatment.
Far-Right Social Media Activity Revealed
An examination of Ballesty's social media profiles reveals a pattern of far-right political expression. His biography on the platform X describes him as a 'Catholic, Anti-Communist'. The tone of his posts reportedly intensified following the Bondi attack on December 14, which left 15 people dead.
On December 19, he publicly professed 'I am far right', echoing a statement from 11 weeks prior where he insisted 'It's okay to be far right.' On the day of the Bondi attack, under a link to Prime Minister Albanese's reaction, Ballesty posted: 'Words cannot describe the contempt I have for this rat.'
On the day of his arrest, December 21, he shared a petition calling for Albanese's resignation, citing the Bondi attack and 'ongoing mass migration' as reasons. His social media history also includes sharing a post supporting a politician's move to remove Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from government events, and a graph suggesting the biggest threat to Western civilisation was 'white liberal women with arts degrees'.
The arrest comes as Prime Minister Albanese faced public scrutiny and was heckled during a memorial service for the Bondi victims on Sunday. The AFP created its National Security Investigations teams in September specifically to target threats to social cohesion and the targeting of federal parliamentarians. Nathan Ballesty is next scheduled to appear at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on March 3.
