Australia should be deeply ashamed of this one photo. How could Anthony Albanese be so weak? asks PETER VAN ONSELEN

Albo has not had a good year. Now it can be revealed that he has not even been able to visit his own polling station, even if he had wanted to.

Not only has the Prime Minister had to deal with the loss of the Voice referendum and the economic fallout from rising interest rates and high inflation, he has also handed over his office in Sydney’s west to a pro-Palestinian protest camp.

Mr Albanese has been locked out of his Marrickville home of years by a handful of peaceful protesters, rendering the office that serves his constituents largely unusable.

Placards condemning the Labour government’s actions hang on the walls and protesters sit on folding chairs, making it impossible for anyone to visit the office of their local MP.

How can this happen? Especially to the leader of the country himself.

Numerous laws have been enacted and are often used to disperse protesters who disrupt public order and trespass on property.

But for some reason the prime minister is unwilling to rock the boat and forcefully remove the pro-Palestinian camp. Perhaps he fears the scenes will provoke a backlash on Labour’s political left.

So instead, the country’s leader has been powerless since January. Unable to visit. Fences have even been erected to protect parts of the office space.

Staff have been informed that the office cannot function properly due to security reasons.

Bewildered voters, used to accessing the information resources of their local MP, are now finding they have to call a number to get help, when previously they could simply get it in the office.

The occupation of the Prime Minister’s office

Premier Anthony Albanese’s electoral office in Marrickville, in Sydney’s west, has been handed over to a pro-Palestinian activist camp

Palestinian Lives Matter protesters have prevented Mr Albanese from using his own office, and prevented his constituents from visiting it and using its services.

When Daily Mail Australia contacted the Prime Minister to try to understand how he could allow this to happen, the infringement on Australia’s democratic processes was justified with the phrase: ‘Citizens in a democracy have the right to peaceful protest.’

That may be true, but what if those protests close down a taxpayer-funded office whose sole purpose is to serve the community the MP represents?

The government spokesperson had words on the matter, but no examples or evidence of actions.

“The Prime Minister has made it clear that activities at polling stations involving destruction of property and abuse of voters, MPs and staff are completely unacceptable,” the spokespeople said.

Daily Mail Australia visited the now almost useless polling station. The protesters have set up shop for the long term, placing signs on the premises describing Albo as a “criminal hypocrite” and accusing the prime minister of using taxpayers’ money “to fund genocide” by arming Israel.

One voter says Albo is all talk and no action: ‘He may say that insulting voters is unacceptable, but he accepts denying protesters access to an MP’s office. How is that not an abuse of the right to protest on an issue?’

The prime minister’s spokeswoman even admitted in her statement that the protests blocking access to Albo’s office have “caused disruption for vulnerable Australians seeking help”.

Yet she tried to justify it by stating that “electoral council members continue to help the people of Grayndler,” even if that help has to be provided remotely.

Mr Albanese’s office is decorated with several signs calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East

Some signage at the front of the building

Local residents are being excluded

Albo ‘chooses weakness’ in the hope that average voters will not notice or care that the government is allowing this to happen, writes political editor Peter Van Onselen

The opposition suspects that the prime minister does not want to provoke a backlash among her supporters who support Palestine, which could shift the Labour Party vote towards the Greens.

So Albo is choosing weakness in the hope that the average voter will not notice or care that the government is allowing this to happen.

A Labor MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Mail Australia: “It’s insane that we’re allowing this lawlessness to happen.”

This is nothing like the (indigenous) tent city [out the front of old Parliament House]”They are not blocking access to the building and they are not on the premises.”

When asked directly whether the Prime Minister, in defending the protesters and their democratic rights, was also defending their right to decorate his office with signs and posters, we received no answer.

The prime minister’s spokeswoman also ignored a question about why laws to move protesters were not being enforced after so many months of disruption.