A woman has been charged with assault after allegedly striking Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the back of his head with an egg.
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Mr Morrison was talking to a group from the Country Women's Association in Albury on Tuesday morning when a woman "approached him from behind and allegedly struck him with an egg", according to New South Wales Police.
Police say the 24-year-old woman has been charged with common assault, as well as possessing cannabis, which was found during a search.
Video of the incident appears to show the egg rolling off Mr Morrison's head, intact. It is understood the egg was found nearby, uncracked.
The woman was quickly tackled by security. NSW Police say that in the process, a 70 year-old woman was knocked to the ground but no injuries were reported.
Shortly after the attack, Mr Morrison tweeted that his concern about "the incident in Albury" was for the "older lady who was knocked off her feet". "I helped her up and gave her a hug," he said.
Mr Morrison continued to campaign on Tuesday in the seat of Indi in regional Victoria, which the Coalition hopes to regain after the retirement of independent sitting MP Cathy McGowan.
He later played down the incident, telling reporters: "Pardon the pun, but I don't want to over egg this thing." Mr Morrison said Australians needed to disagree with each other in a civilised manner. "We've just got to disagree better about these things."
When asked about the incident, Labor leader Bill Shorten said it was "appalling and disgraceful behaviour".
"In Australia, we have violence-free elections," he told reporters in the marginal Victorian seat of Corangamite.
The woman allegedly responsible for throwing the egg spoke briefly to journalists outside the venue in Albury, while carrying a six pack of eggs. She said she had not intended for a woman to fall over, saying: "I am sorry for that."
When asked if a peaceful protest would have been better, she replied: "Cos that gets through."
- SMH/The Age