Brad Battin forced to distance himself from neo-Nazi group

New Opposition Leader Brad Battin has been forced to deny allegations he was helping to push the agenda of a group of neo-Nazis who claimed he invited them to a rally in his electorate.

Brad Battin has been forced to distance himself from a group of neo-Nazis. Picture: Aaron Francis

New Opposition Leader Brad Battin has been forced to distance himself from a group of neo-Nazis who claimed he was helping to push their agenda.

Joel Davis, a known member of white supremacy group National Socialist Network, also claimed that it was Mr Battin who invited neo-Nazis to a rally in his Berwick electorate in November last year to protest the renaming of a lake in honour of the local Sikh community.

Mr Battin and Liberal Parry colleague Ann-Marie Hermans immediately left the event when they first became aware that a group of men dressed in black, including Mr Davis, had turned up.

Mr Battin says there’s no place for ‘hate-filled people’ in Victoria. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The allegation was made on encrypted messaging service Telegram, where Mr Davis also claimed that when Mr Battin successfully rolled John Pesutto to become Liberal leader, he fired former deputy David Southwick – who is Jewish – before immediately reinstating exiled Liberal MP Moira Deeming.

“Patriots are in control, trust the plan,” Mr Davis said in the post, which has been viewed by more than 10,000 people.

In a statement to the Herald Sun, Mr Battin said: “These allegations are complete and utter nonsense. There is no place for hate filled people in our state, period.”

“The Allan government’s failure to take decisive action has emboldened radical groups, allowing them to spread their hateful rhetoric while protesting in our streets. I plan to work with the community to address this issue head on,” he added.

“I will not tolerate hate in Victoria. Our state stands for diversity and respect, and my team will fight tirelessly to uphold those values.”

The Herald Sun has attempted to contact Mr Davis for comment.

Originally published as Brad Battin forced to distance himself from neo-Nazi group