Shayne Neumann urges David Colemann to block Proud Boys founder Gavin McInness from entering Australia

Immigration Minister David Coleman is being urged to block the founder of a violent street-fighter movement from entering the country.

Gavin McInnes, founder of the far-right ‘Proud Boys’ group, brandishes a sword after giving a speech in New York City. Picture: Supplied

Labor’s immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann has written to his ministerial counterpart urging him to block the founder of a violent street-fighter movement from entering the country for a national tour which is due to start next month.

Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes, who has endorsed violence and urged his members to assault and “assassinate” their enemies, is due to begin a speaking tour on November 7 just weeks after several of his group members were charged with gang and riot offences in the United States.

“Proud Boys is a far-right organisation which admits only men as members and promotes political violence,” Mr Neumann wrote in a letter to Immigration Minister David Coleman today.

“Gavin McInnes has repeatedly and publicly advocated for violence against women and has pledged to ‘assassinate’ his enemies. Both this individual, and the group he represents, were suspended from Twitter in August for violating the social media platform’s policy prohibiting violent extremist groups.

“Given the significant risk Gavin McInnes poses to the Australian community, I am asking you to use your powers under Section 501 of the Migration Act to refuse his access to Australia.”

The Australian revealed on Wednesday that Mr McInnes’ tour promoter is pornographer Damien Costas, who organised the tours of US right-winger Milo Yiannopoulos last year and former UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage earlier this year.

In a report to creditors, the liquidator of one of Mr Costas’s failed companies, Shumit Banerjee of SV Partners, accused the Penthouse Australia publisher and his father of six crimes, including improperly using their positions as company directors to gain advantage for themselves at the expense of the business.

Mr Costas said he was not aware of any wrongdoing and pledged to repay money owed to another company which prints his magazine.

A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police declined to say whether the force regarded Mr McInnes or the Proud Boys as a threat to law and order.

“Police target criminals and criminal activity, not ideologies or backgrounds,” he said.

“All extremist groups are taken seriously, regardless of the background of the perpetrator.”

Mr Neumann said Labor supported the government’s amendments to the Migration Act in 2014 to “strengthen the character test provisions for non-citizens because these provisions protect the broader Australian community.”

“Under these powers you, as the responsible minister, have the power to refuse visas for individuals if there is a significant risk that the individual would vilify a segment of the Australian community, incite discord in the Australian community or in a segment of that community; or represent a danger to the Australian community or to a segment of that community.”