The West Live: Former premier Colin Barnett reveals full extent of death threats received while in office

Former premier Colin Barnett has spoken for the first time about death threats he received while in office, and revealed someone had mailed bullets to his home after he left politics. A 67-year-old man has been arrested after a tin foil package containing a suspicious substance was hurled into the Rockingham office of Mark McGowan yesterday afternoon, just days before the State election. The man is also being questioned over an envelope containing an “unhinged” letter and another tin foil package that was delivered to the front desk of Federal Labor MP Madeleine King’s office earlier that afternoon. Back in 2017, then-Premier Barnett and several Liberal MPs received death threats by mail to their home addresses in the week before the State election, prompting Mr Barnett to hold his last press conference of the campaign in a secure office in Hale House. Speaking to The West Live today, Mr Barnett revealed for the first time the full extent of the threats he had received. “Threats that happen to politicians usually don’t get talked about for security reasons, but what I can say is they are common,” Mr Barnett said. “I don’t know how many threats I or my staff have had, but it would be far more than people would imagine, even bullets coming in the mail after I left politics, so it doesn’t stop.” Mr Barnett revealed previously unreleased information regarding the bullets, as well as specifics about attacks on his electoral office in Cottesloe. Earlier this week The West Australian was told a man approached Labor candidate for Carine Paul Lilburne and said: “I’m going to get a gun and shoot Mark McGowan.” Police have taken witness statements and will continue to trawl through CCTV to identify the suspect. WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said the substance found in the packages sent to Premier McGowan and King yesterday was water based — and not harmful. He said while the incidents are being taken very seriously, police don’t believe the public should be concerned. Listen to The West Live link above for the full interview.