Toowoomba Groom political rivals Garth Hamilton, Gen Allpass unit to condemn activity by far-right Australia First Party

A far-right and anti-immigration political party has started distributing flyers in Toowoomba and plans to hold meetings soon. Now Labor and the Liberals have united to condemn it.

Groom candidates for Labor Gen Allpas and LNP Garth Hamilton have slammed plans by the Australia First Party to hold meetings in Toowoomba.

Toowoomba’s political rivals have united to send a message to an anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism party planning to spread its message in the city — “you’re not welcome here”.

Both Groom MP Garth Hamilton and his ALP rival Gen Allpass slammed the Australia First Party as “racist” and “divisive”, after its material started appearing in Toowoomba letterboxes.

The flyers called for “Australian culture not multicult (sic) pox” before advertising the party’s website.

SLAMMED: Advertising for the far-right political party Australia First featuring anti-immigrant rhetoric has appeared in letterboxes across Toowoomba, including near where refugee families live.

The party’s president plans to head to Toowoomba to meet with supporters before the federal election.

The AFP’s policies include an end to immigration and foreign ownership, abolishing multiculturalism and protecting “the traditional family”.

AFP president Jim Saleam, who has been pictured in the past wearing a Nazi uniform and advocates for the complete end of multiculturalism in Australia, said the flyers were distributed by supporters ahead of the party’s plan to re-register federally later this year.

Jim Saleam at a National Socialist rally in Brisbane in 1975. Picture: Mike Moores

Mr Saleam said he planned to meet with local supporters in April, saying the party had a following in regional capitals like Toowoomba.

“I hope to be speaking in Toowoomba sometime in April — we’ll be doing a series of meetings across Queensland,” he said.

Mr Saleam denied the party was far-right, arguing it occupied “neither left nor right”.

Toowoomba has been named a refugee welcome zone for many years and features a strong number of migrant families from many countries, including South Sudan, Iraq and Syria.

Mr Hamilton said he didn’t believe the AFP’s views were supported by the majority of Toowoomba residents.

Jim Saleam (in black) is the president of the Australia First Party. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“I don’t think they’ll find many friends here — Toowoomba is a great place full of good people,” he said.

“These guys have no place in a town like Toowoomba.”

Ms Allpass condemned the party’s views as “racist”, saying they weren’t welcome in the Garden City.

“I find it extremely disappointing that this divisiveness would be allowed within our community,” she said.

“There is a reason they are too small to even form a party, and that’s because a majority of our community abhor these racist and divisive views.

“They are neither welcomed or needed here.”

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio said while the party was entitled to its freedom of speech, he said the city had shown its self to be a welcoming community for refugees and migrants.

“We do live in a very special place, Australia, and also Toowoomba is even better when it comes to compassion and multiculturalism,” he said.

“If anyone has any questions about it, they should look in the mirror and look at their background.”