As threats against polticians rise, should taxpayers foot the bill for security?

There has been an uptick of threats against politicians across Australia. (AAP: Darren England)

As threats against elected officials grow, WA members of parliament are feeling an increasing risk to their safety.

It has prompted a push for politicians to get an allowance for home security upgrades.

The ABC understands the body that sets politicians' entitlements is considering the matter.

As threats against elected officials grow, so too does a question in the minds of many politicians — should taxpayers foot the bill for security for our elected representatives?

In February, a man was charged with allegedly planning a terrorist attack on the WA Parliament, as well as police headquarters and mosques.

In separate incidents over the past few years, people have also pleaded guilty to threatening to kill the prime minister and then-WA police minister Paul Papalia, the latter over changes to the state's gun laws.

The Australian Federal Police has reported a 63 per cent increase in "threatening, harassing, nuisance and offensive communications" directed at federal politicians over the past four years.

While no similar figures are available for WA, the issue is weighing on the minds of members of parliament.

"We live in an increasingly complex community, and I suspect these things will become more and more prevalent as time goes on, sadly so, but that is the nature of it," Premier Roger Cook said during budget estimates earlier this month.

Last year, Queensland MPs were granted up to $6,500 in each term of parliament for home security upgrades.

In offering the funding, the clerk of Queensland's parliament cited the murder of a British MP in 2021 as evidence of the need for greater protections.

It is understood no scheme exists in WA for politicians to get state funding for security upgrades, but under questioning from the opposition earlier this month, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly revealed it was something he was pushing for.

That emerged during questioning from Nationals MP Lachlan Hunter, who told the ABC he had felt the "heightened level of risk" for politicians since taking his seat in parliament last year.

"I'll leave it up to the independent agencies around the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal as to what is appropriate," he said.

"But at the moment, members of parliament don't have any mechanism to protect their family home or to protect their place of residence at the moment.

"So I think it's appropriate that these relevant agencies are looking at this, given the significant threat level increase that has gone to public official