Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slammed suggestions he is setting a “dangerous precedent” after closing his Sydney electorate office following years of protests and vandalism.

The Marrickville Road office, which Albanese had occupied for decades, was recently shut down after the church landlord ended a 30-year lease. 

The building had long been a target of demonstrators, most recently from pro-Palestine groups.

Appearing on Sunrise on Monday, September 16, Albanese faced tough questioning from hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington.

“The church, of course, has ended the lease. They made their decision. But you abandoning your office, is it setting a dangerous precedent?” Shirvington asked.

Albanese pushed back. 

“What absolute nonsense, seriously. This is an office that is actually shared with St Clements Church. The car park is a shared car park.

“The people attending, trying to attend church services have been disrupted as well as people haven’t been able to get the services that they need.

“People being denied access to assistance on the NDIS or Centrelink or Medicare, that doesn’t advance any cause in the Middle East. All it does is disrupt people and alienate people from the cause that the protesters are purporting to support.”

Barr then pressed the Prime Minister on whether weekly protests had become “Australia’s new normal.”

“We appreciate everyone’s right to protest, but they’re happening around the country every week from both sides. Is this Australia’s new normal?” she asked.

Albanese replied, “Well, it shouldn’t be. What this does is undermine the cause that people purport to represent.

“There’s no impact on the Middle East from stopping a local resident getting support on social security or the NDIS or Medicare or migration.”

Albanese confirmed he will soon open a new electorate office, but Shirvington noted activists had vowed to follow him.

“The protesters have said they’re going to follow you wherever you go. It will be interesting to see where your office does pop up and what happens,” Shirvington said.

“They undermine their own cause,” Albanese responded.

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