Far-right extremism in Victoria is real, inquiry hears

A parliamentary inquiry into the rise of extremism in Victoria has been warned “just because they’re idiots doesn’t make them less dangerous”.

Victoria Police is “overwhelmed” with the level of threatening language. Picture: David Crosling

One of Australia’s leading civil liberties organisations has declared the emergence of far-right extremism in Victoria is real.

Fronting a parliamentary inquiry into the rise of extremism in Victoria on Tuesday, Liberty Victoria president Michael Stanton warned the legislative response to the growing problem must not “throw the baby out with the bathwater”.

“Sometimes that involves tolerating speech that we find offensive or humiliating,” Mr Stanton said.

Stanton said it is “unhelpful” to stigmatise all protesters as being connected to the far-right. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Stanton said repairing faith in powerful institutions, government and the media is “absolutely critical” to addressing the wider issue.

“We need to address social isolation and growing economic insecurity and racist scapegoating and echo chambers that drive people toward extremist groups,” he said.

But he warned it’s “unhelpful” to stigmatise the “entire and disparate group” of protesters, particularly those who took to the streets during lockdowns, as being connected to the far-right movement in some form.

“If we lump those people in with extremists, and if they feel disrespected, then this only will reinforce the messages of those extremists that the government isn’t to be trusted,” he said.

Journalist Nick McKenzie told the Inquiry that many right-wing groups are “sloppily organised” but still posed a risk to the community.

Investigative reporter Nick McKenzie spoke to the hearing on Tuesday.

“It’s fair to say some of these, if not the majority, of people in these groups are idiots,” he said.

“Just because they’re … idiots doesn’t make them less dangerous.”

Mr McKenzie said that children as young as 10 years old are being radicalised, suggesting Victoria Police is “overwhelmed” with the level of threatening language on the internet.

He also questioned whether de-radicalisation programs used in the prison system and schools are actually working.

“I think what state governments are good at is coming up with a bunch of money when something terrible happens,” he said.

“(But) certainly talking to contacts across the law enforcement space, they’re (de-radicalisation programs) regarded as a bit of a joke.

“We need such programs to work.”

The Victorian Greens were last year successful in securing parliamentary support to establish the Inquiry.

Greens MP Samantha Ratnam is the chair of the Inquiry. Picture: David Crosling

It will probe the rise of the far-right, right-wing nationalist and the neo-Nazi movement in Victoria.

Leader of the Victorian Greens Samantha Ratnam, who is the chair of the Inquiry, previously said the fear and anxiety of the pandemic provided a “breeding ground for dangerous far-right and white supremacist ideology to run and take hold”.

“The growing presence of far-right nationalists sends a chill down my spine,” she said.

“History has shown us what happens if we don’t act early and if we don’t act quickly to counter far-right extremists.”

Ms Ratnam was subject to vile abuse and death threats after voting in support of the Andrews government’s pandemic legislation.

“I was once harassed and followed from my office by right-wing extremists,” she said last year.

“It was frightening. And the attacks on me online have increased over the last year.”