Senator Jacqui Lambie's former adviser feared for staff safety when her Burnie office received a terrorist threat in 2015, but sought to publicise it through the media hours later, a court has heard.
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Senator Lambie was on the stand in Federal Court for the second day, facing an unfair dismissal complaint from former adviser Rob Messenger and former office manager Fern Messenger.
The pair were sacked by the senator in 2017.
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The letter, which was opened by Mrs Messenger on March 2015, included threats to behead Senator Lambie unless she converted to Islam and helped implement Sharia law in Australia.
There was a graphic image of a man being beheaded in the correspondence.
The letter was considered a response to criticism Senator Lambie had levelled at Sharia law.
Mr Messenger told the court he requested the office be shut down for a number of days and staff sent home, but this was rejected by Senator Lambie.
He said this was one of several workplace health and safety complaints either ignored or dismissed by the senator during he and his wife's time in her office.
Senator Lambie told Mr Messenger in court his concern was not considered by her to be a legitimate workplace health and safety complaint.
"Mr Messenger, when you throw it out to all the media, I wouldn't say that it was a complaint about your safety," she said.
The Australian Federal Police was involved in an investigation over the threat and found it was not credible.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
