Hours before his scheduled appearance, Education Minister Christopher Pyne told the ABC's Lateline program that the AFP was ''concerned about our safety'' as well as ''the safety of innocent bystanders''.

Mr Pyne also told 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones that the AFP couldn't guarantee the safety of bystanders. ''We're not worried for our own safety,'' he said.

But a senate estimates hearing in Canberra heard that the AFP gave no advice that the Prime Minister should not visit due to specific safety concerns.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Peter Drennan said: ''The type of threat that would need to exist for us to say not to go would probably be a serious terrorist threat or a threat made by a motivated group which was going to be violent, or from some fixated individual.

''That was not the case in these set of circumstances, so it was not a matter where we said 'it's too dangerous for you to be there. We should not go'.''