Man detained outside Australian parliament for carrying knife

Police here detained a man Thursday outside the Australian parliament for carrying a knife, a media report said.

The man, believed to be in his 30s was detained outside the ministerial wing of the building about 12.30 pm Thursday, Canberra Times reported.

Police tried to persuade the man to hand over the knife, but when negotiations failed they tasered him.

"There were no national security concerns related to the incident," said a statement issued by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) police.

Officers of the Australian Federal Police quickly swarmed the area.

Security in and around parliament house was beefed up in October following an attack in Canada's parliamentary precinct.

The ministerial wing is home to the offices of Prime Minister Tony Abbott and members of his ministry.

In September, officers of the Australian Federal Police replaced unarmed public servants who provided internal security after Abbott said Parliament House had been identified as a potential terror target through "chatter" intercepted by security agencies.