NSW Labor calls on premier and deputy premier to act on neo-Nazis identified in ABC doco from National Party
NSW Labor today called on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier John Barilaro to act on neo-Nazis – identified in an ABC documentary this weekend – from the ranks of the NSW Nationals.
Walt Secord
NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley and NSW Labor frontbencher and NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel deputy chair Walt Secord called on Ms Berejiklian and Mr Barilaro to “purge” these extremists from the ranks of the NSW National Party.
Mr Foley and Mr Secord were referring to an ABC Radio National Background Briefing investigation into Australia’s alt-right movement. It revealed a plan to join major political parties and influence their policy agendas from within. It broadcast examples of members of the alt-right movement assuming positions in the NSW National Party’s youth division.
They have been linked to right-wing groups which have expressed racist comments about Jews and Asians and have targeted LGBTI groups – as well as espousing pro-Adolf Hitler sympathies and calling for the execution of LGBTI community members.
Luke Foley
Mr Foley told a Sydney press conference on October 14 that he was deeply concerned that the NSW Young Nationals had been infiltrated by extreme-right wing elements – and called on the Premier and Deputy Premier to detail how they are going to crack down and remove these elements from the Nationals.
Earlier this year, Mr Foley has also spoken out and highlighted the rise increase in racist, homophobic and antisemitic activity of the alt-right movement in NSW.
Mr Secord said the infiltration plan was an old political tactic used by extreme right-wing groups and in the 1970s, the racist and antisemitic Australian League of Rights attempted similar tactics with the Queensland National Party. At the time, the tactic was called as “entryism” and the attempt was fought by then-Nationals leader Larry Anthony (Snr).
It would be wonderful if all the major parties would purge those members who peddled Jewish conspiracy theory in all its forms. But that also includes the Australian Labor Party and the Greens where anti-Israel cum anti-Semitism ill filtration is not a dirty term.