A neo-Nazi organisation known as the White Australia party, also called the National Socialist Network, is challenging Australia’s federal government decision to list it as a banned hate group while it tries to register as a political party. The group and its president, Thomas Sewell, have launched a constitutional challenge in the High Court of Australia seeking to pause or overturn the hate-group designation.
According to reporting, the group argues that the legislation used to allow the government to make such listings is invalid. It claims the law improperly restricts freedom of political and governmental communication.
In a related development, the Electoral Commission (AEC) has told the group it cannot become a political party if it continues to withhold or redact the identities of members it would need to disclose as part of the registration process. The group says it does not want to reveal member identities “to avoid doxxing” and maintains that its challenge should proceed despite the listing and registration hurdles.
