Extinction Rebellion among the supporters of anti-government community groups

The community groups around Australia known as “Voices” who are campaigning against the government in selected seats have close ties to radical groups.

Social media analysis has revealed that many of the so-called “Voices of” organisations springing up across the country to campaign against Coalition MPs have close ties to radical groups like Extinction Rebellion.

This is leading to warnings that voters might be tricked into supporting “fringe socialists, anarchists, trots and bots”.

Voices for North Sydney founder Andrea Wilson is a long-time environmental activist who even submitted a Greenpeace-sponsored design for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Village.

More recently Ms Wilson also shared a meme on her Facebook page suggesting that climate change caused by “corporate ecocide” was as bad as the ­Holocaust.

Andrea Wilson, founder of Voices of North Sydney, posted a meme on Facebook comparing climate change and the Holocaust.

The meme on Ms Wilson’s Facebook.

“The Holocaust was legal, hiding Jews was criminalised,” the post read, concluding, “corporate ecocide is legal, rebelling against it is criminalised … friendly reminder: legality isn’t a guide to morality.”

North Sydney independent candidate Kylea Tink has ­previously said she is “loosely” affiliated with the “Voices of” campaign and is running on a platform of climate action, a federal ICAC, and gender and racial equality in Canberra to unseat the Liberal Party’s Trent Zimmerman.

However, in a statement Ms Tink said: “As an independent, any policy position I take will always be informed by consultation with the community and, unlike members of political parties, I am not beholden to any interest groups.”

Ms Wilson said she was just trying to help democracy.

“Voices of North Sydney’s main objective is to improve community participation in democracy. We believe the full range of views in the electorate should be represented both in terms of the issues that are considered and how they are addressed,” she said.

“We are completely independent and we are not affiliated with any other organisations.”

Others involved in Sydney-area “Voices of” campaigns in seats such as Wentworth and Warringah have also posted strong shows of support for Extinction Rebellion as well as supporting kids skipping school to protest climate change.

In Victoria, where an independent push is on to topple Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, local Liz Glab has described herself as a co-founder of the local “Voices” chapter and also the founder of the local chapter of Extinction Rebellion.

“I see XR as our only hope to get the voices of the caring majority heard,” she said in a recent interview. The leadership of the local Voices for the Mornington Peninsula, where Health Minister Greg Hunt is MP, have shown their support for Extinction Rebellion.

North Sydney Independent candidate Kylea Tink in a recent promotional flyer

In May Deputy Chair Michael Stephens posted a link asking people to contribute to a bail fund for arrested Extinction Rebellion members.

In the seat of Goldstein, held by Liberal MP Tim Wilson, Keith Badger – who is profiled on the Voices of Goldstein website – has enthusiastically shared calls to action on his Facebook page including recruitment drives for Extinction Rebellion.

NSW Senator Andrew Bragg said: “A vote for a Voices candidate could be a voice for Extinction Rebellion. Extreme views and extreme policies sit inside many of the Voices groups. These are not mainstream people crafting policy for the welfare of Australia. They are fringe socialists, anarchists, trots and bots.”