A lower-house candidate for Pauline Hanson's One Nation, who is linked to anti-vaccination protests, has been arrested near Parliament House.
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Lucia Grant, a teacher, is the party's candidate for Fenner, the northern ACT seat currently held by Labor's Andrew Leigh.
A spokesperson for ACT Policing confirmed a 52-year-old woman from Goodna, Queensland, was arrested in Parkes.
"She has been charged with trespassing and resisting arrest and granted bail to appear in court at a later date. Her bail includes a condition not to be in the suburb of Parkes between 8pm and 8am," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson later clarified the offence was neglecting to leave a Commonwealth premises after being directed to do so by police, rather than trespass.
Ms Grant has been linked to anti-government and anti-vaccination protests which have taken place in Canberra in recent months.
Video posted to social media shows Ms Grant interacting with police officers on Federation Mall, at the front of Parliament House, on Saturday night.
Photographs shared on social media show Ms Grant being arrested by police.
The ABC reported earlier this month that Ms Grant was enrolled to vote in Goodna, but The Canberra Times was unable to independently verify this on Sunday.
Ms Grant's profile on the One Nation website said she gained a bachelor of education degree in 2004 and is passionate about "pro-choice and freedom".
"Over the past [two] years, people have lost everything including loved ones, businesses, jobs, homes, relationships, and mental health. Many unvaccinated people are still not allowed to work," Ms Grant is quoted as saying.
She has published photographs of protesters out the front of Parliament House on her Facebook page.
Ms Grant also published video footage on social media from the Exhibition Park protest camp in February, where a significant number of people opposed to COVID vaccination mandates camped amid disruptive rallies through the city.
Wide-ranging anti-vaccination and and anti-government protest activity has continued in Canberra since the start of the year, when large crowds gathered in the capital.
Small groups have continued to stage marches and rallies at sites around the ACT in the lead up to the election.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
