Dutton reportedly targeted in school boy’s alleged terror plot

Opposition home affairs spokesperson James Paterson says reports that Peter Dutton was the target of an alleged terrorist plot are “very troubling”.

A 16-year-old boy is facing a court charged with allegedly targeting Dutton in a planned terrorist attack on Dutton’s Brisbane home.

First reported in The Australian, the private school student was arrested and charged in August 2024 with a commonwealth offence, after he allegedly purchased bomb-making ingredients and tested explosives intending to launch an attack.

Paterson, acting as the Coalition’s campaign spokesperson, was asked about the alleged terror plot on Sky News.

“It’s very troubling. It involves a minor, and it’s a matter before the court, so I have to be very cautious about what I say about this specific instance,” he said.

“What I can say more broadly about the issue of young people coming to the attention of counter-terrorism police and ASIO, is that it’s unfortunately a disturbingly fast-growing trend… They’re often being radicalised online, sometimes very quickly by consuming extreme content, and they can go from having no violent intent to having violent intent, sometimes very quickly.”