Latest news with #NationalWorkersAlliance
The Age
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Federal election 2025 LIVE updates: Dutton predicts 2019-style Coalition win; nearly 7 million votes already cast
Go to latest Pinned post from 3.00pm Afternoon wrap: What has happened so far today By Lachlan Abbott Good afternoon. Thanks for your company on the final day of campaigning before election day. Here's what has happened so far: The PM started the day in Queensland, but was in Tasmania early this afternoon to spruik the campaign of Anne Urquhart, a Labor senator who is running for the safe Liberal seat of Braddon. Dutton has flown from Adelaide to Perth, where he held a press conference in the marginal electorate of Tangney and attacked Anthony Albanese for price rises over the past three years. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange broke his silence to endorse a second term for Albanese and praised the PM's efforts to secure his release from prison. Adam Bandt voted early in Melbourne today. The Greens leader pledged to 'push Labor to act' and said his party was aiming to pick up five new seats. 6.08pm In pictures: Heckler interrupts PM's final campaign stop A heckler yelled at the prime minister as he campaigned in Carrum Downs. See the pictures below. The suburbs that could swing Dutton or Albanese to power Kangaroo Valley is a picture postcard piece of NSW. Surrounded by forests and waterfalls, it attracts visitors with its collection of antique dealers and cafes from nearby Sydney most weekends. But the 600 or so voters of Kangaroo Valley will be pivotal in the battle for the ultra-marginal seat of Gilmore where sitting member, Labor's Fiona Phillips, is trying to fend off the Liberal Party's Andrew Constance. What sets apart Kangaroo Valley residents is that, unlike much of Gilmore, which stretches along the NSW South Coast, support for Phillips has grown sharply over the past two elections. Phillips won Gilmore by just 373 votes last election, with that support in Kangaroo Valley proving critical. The community is an example of suburb or small population in many of the nation's 150 electorates that could dictate Saturday's poll. 5.51pm Far-right agitators turn up at bayside Melbourne voting booth By Sherryn Groch and Cara Waters Far-right agitators have turned up at pre-poll voting centre in Melbourne, setting up loudspeakers directly across the road from the polling station. Outside a booth in Brighton this evening, the men displayed a sign that said National Workers Alliance and played loud music before speaking out against Liberal candidate Tim Wilson and incumbent teal MP Zoe Daniel, who they said had failed to debate them. Police officers were seen speaking to the men, who packed up after about an hour. One of the men was Matt Trihey, who gatecrashed a Kooyong candidates forum earlier in the campaign and began yelling about immigration. Trihey and his self-described 'nationalist' group, the National Workers Alliance, often hosts events frequented by neo-Nazis, though Trihey has previously denied being a neo-Nazi himself. 5.39pm Watch: Dutton changes rhetoric towards PM Our reporter Mike Foley is following Peter Dutton around Western Australia today as the Coalition makes a final push for votes. Watch his analysis of the Liberal leader's change in rhetoric below. 5.29pm Dutton travels to 19th electorate in last week of campaigning Back in Perth, Peter Dutton's busy day continues. He has lobbed into Pearce, northern Perth, where the Liberals are hoping to win the seat that Labor won by a fat 8.8 per cent margin in 2022. Former state MP Jan Norberger is challenging Labor MP Tracey Roberts. This is seat 19 of Dutton's last week of campaigning. He had set himself a target to visit up to 28 electorates. 5.24pm The election outcome ASX investors don't want to see By Jessica Yun How much does a federal election campaign affect the Australian sharemarket? Not that much, but a minority government would, according to a senior economist and a billion-dollar fund manager. AMP chief economist Shane Oliver and Ten Cap co-founder and lead portfolio manager Jun Bei Liu both told this masthead that there was not enough difference between Labor and Coalition governments to significantly shake the market on either outcome. 'If we have a minority government, then it becomes difficult. Nothing gets done. This probably would be the worst-case scenario,' said Liu. 'No policy gets done, then businesses don't want to spend, then obviously you have the confidence hit.' Investors see the differences between the two main parties as 'quite minor', with Trump's tariffs to remain the dominant factor moving markets, said Oliver. 'If the Coalition were to win the market, you might see a slight positive reaction, because the Coalition [is seen as] more business-friendly than the Labor Party. But I think it would be trivial in the grand scheme of things.' On the eve of the federal election, the Australian sharemarket capped off the week on a high note, finishing 1.1 per cent higher as local and global investors cheered China's announcement that it was evaluating a request from the US to open trade talks. 5.15pm Protester gives PM an almighty spray in Melbourne By Millie Muroi A protester has just launched a profanity-laden spray at Albanese as he arrived at a polling booth in Melbourne's south-east. Shortly after the PM walked towards the entrance of the polling booth in Carrum Downs, a woman approached and yelled at him about his mental health policies. Screaming out profanities, the woman continued yelling as Albanese was swarmed by Labor and Liberal volunteers holding placards. '20 sessions we used to get!' the person said, referring to the mental health sessions available under Medicare. 'Now we get 10! Where's the help for mental health? What about my teenage daughter?' Albanese was swiftly escorted away as the shouting continued. When asked by reporters if she was a Liberal volunteer, the woman said 'no comment'. Earlier, in response to someone calling out to her suggesting she was a Liberal volunteer, the protester said she was acting, in this instance, as a constituent. 5.07pm PM says he won't legislate Voice The PM has repeatedly said he was committed to delivering practical reforms to ensure a better future for Indigenous Australians after the Voice referendum defeat, while Dutton has continued to claim Albanese had a secret plan to legislate the Voice if he won the election. 'Just a simple yes or no, will you legislate a Voice to parliament?' Afternoon Briefing host Patricia Karvelas asked the PM. 'No,' he said. Asked what his message was to Indigenous Australians who had felt hurt being discussed this week, often without taking part in the conversation, he said: 'Indigenous Australians met at Uluru in 2017 and they determined they wanted a constitutional recognition through a Voice. They didn't ask for a Voice to parliament to be legislated because there have been at least three different Indigenous advisory bodies to government that have been abolished with the stroke of a pen . .. I honoured that request from First Nations people by putting it to the Australian people, it was not successful. The Australian people had their say, I respect that.' Pressed further to answer the question directly, he said: 'That I respect them and I want to engage with them in practical reconciliation, in closing the gap, in housing, in economic empowerment, in health, in education ... We are putting in place many of those measures. ' 5.01pm Albanese gets stuck in traffic after landing in Melbourne Even the PM, in the home stretch of an election campaign, cannot cut through traffic. Anthony Albanese touched down in Victoria late this afternoon, but was forced to make a detour while winding through Melbourne's suburbs. After landing in his fifth state in two days, he was driven to the Labor seat of Dunkley, held by MP Jodie Belyea on a margin of 6.8 per cent. The prime minister had earlier planned to visit the marginal Labor electorate of Aston which is held on a slim margin of 3.6 per cent by Labor MP Mary Doyle. Albanese and the travelling media pack instead drove directly to the suburb of Carrum Downs where, flanked by the local member, the prime minister popped into a pre-poll booth buzzing with dozens of volunteers from both major parties and a line of voters snaking around the building.
Sky News AU
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Teal MP Monique Ryan intervenes at friends of ABC forum descends into chaos after punch thrown
A friends of ABC forum involving Teal MP Monique Ryan erupted on Wednesday when an elderly woman punched an anti-immigration protestor. Chaos has erupted at a candidates' forum in Melbourne after anti-immigration protesters gate crashed the event and was punched by an elderly woman. A video posted on social media has captured Matt Trihey from the anti-immigration and right-wing National Workers Alliance storming into a friends of the ABC-organised forum in the electorate of Kooyong on Wednesday night. Teal MP Monique Ryan, who was speaking at the event, could be seen intervening after a woman walked up to Mr Trihey and attempted to punch him in the face. — Melbourne Freedom Rally 😀🇦🇰 (@MelbFreedom) April 23, 2025 Labor candidate Clive Crosby and Greens candidate Jackie Carter also spoke at the forum, which was attended by a few dozen people. Footage showed Mr Trihey interrupting discussions as he stormed in, addressing the room loudly from the back saying 'We're just here to ask about immigration and crime'. He then began shouting about "the correlation between immigration and crime' and continued to yell and point at the speakers. "This is something these people need to answer because the people are being put at risk," he said. One man in the crowd stood up and addressed the protestor saying, 'how dare you come in here doing this?' before more attendees began to get up out their seats. "We are governed by parasites. We are governed by people who have no care for the people of this country," Mr Trihey said. Several screaming outbursts from a woman could be heard and others shouted 'get out' while Mr Trihey refused to be escorted outside. An elderly woman then walked up to the protestor and punched him. The pair were separated before Ms Ryan rushed over to intervene in the crowd that had gathered around them. Victoria Police confirmed officers were called to a library on Cotham Road, Kew about 6.30pm after reports three men had disrupted a meeting inside. Officers had spoken to the men, who were removed from the building before police arrived. No further complaints have been made to police and an investigation is ongoing. Ms Ryan told ABC Radio on Thursday morning that the forum had been going for about 15-20 minutes before she noticed three men enter the back of the room. 'It felt a bit strange. They clearly weren't there to attend the forum, I'm not sure that they had any great interest in the media diversity in this country,' Ms Ryan. 'They looked a bit menacing and they pretty much immediately started shouting and disrupted the meeting from for about 20 minutes.' Many of the audience members who were 'a little bit older,' were "really taken aback" by the protester's disruption, she said. The woman who threw a fist at Mr Trihey was a "little lady" who had become distressed by their appearance. 'She went over to him, and she sort of threw a punch at him," Ms Ryan said. 'She was a little lady, pretty frail, and he was not a small man, and I was really concerned about that, and the potential for that to escalate, where he did give her a push or something like that. '(I) firmly moved her away and asked another member of the audience to look after her. She actually looked a bit taken aback by her own action in doing that … I spoke to her afterwards, and she was a bit horrified by the whole thing." The Teal MP then asked one of the other candidates to call police as audience members and event organisers moved the protesters out the room, she said. 'It was stupid, pointless posturing, basically by these right-wing bullies … these people were just undertaking pointless disruption.' Teal MP's have had controversial experiences with debates this election cycle. Wentworth MP Allegra Spender refused to participate in a Sky News debate in her Eastern Sydney seat, despite previously agreeing to one on live TV after this network declined to kill a news story her office didn't like.
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How being famous has backfired badly on a one-time Neighbours star - as he complains: 'Feel shame'
Former Neighbours actor Damien Richardson is not enjoying a surge in renewed fame years after his final appearance on the popular Aussie soap. On Tuesday, Richardson appeared in the Moorabbin Magistrates' Court after being charged under Victoria's anti-Nazi salute laws. Richardson was allegedly filmed doing a Nazi salute to a crowd of far-right activists at an event in Melbourne last year. The actor, who also starred in shows such as Blue Heelers and McLeod's Daughters, was speaking at a National Workers Alliance meeting in September. The alleged act made national headlines at the time, with NWA claiming it stood 'for the preservation of Western culture and identity'. Appearing in court alongside his mother, the court heard Richardson was keen to keep the suburb he resided in a secret due to some unwanted attention. 'Just recently, your honour, Mr Richardson did have posters of him posted outside bus stops in the area to which he lives,' his lawyer told Magistrate Angela Bolger. 'There has been a concerted effort to get Mr Richardson to feel shame by some within that area.' The purported posters asked commuters if they felt comfortable having Richardson 'living next door' to them. It was a request refused by the magistrate, who directed Richardson to appear in court again in June. It is understood Richardson plans to contest the charge of performing the salute. In October, Australian far-right extremist Jacob Hersant, 25, became the first Victorian convicted of intentionally performing the salute in public and chanting 'heil Hitler.' Hersant was sentenced to one month in jail, but was bailed to appeal the decision. Before doing the Nazi salute, which was revealed by ABC's 7.30, Richardson declared that Australia was experiencing 'a war on men'. 'I thought it was a war on Western tradition, Western values … and actually, it's an anti-white male agenda.' It was then that Richardson raised his right arm and alluded to the fact that Hersant was given a one-month jail term for doing a Nazi salute. 'Am I gonna be fined now? I'm gonna go to jail for five years?' Richardson said. 'I mean, really? I mean, this is absurd. This is insane. It's crazy. It's so crazy you can't believe it's even happening.' After Richardson did the salute, which was broadcast live on Facebook, members of the National Socialist Network neo-Nazi group could be heard cheering. Despite his actions and words being filmed, the actor has tried to distance himself from the neo-Nazis he was addressing. Matt Trihey, who organised the Melbourne gathering, said 'there has been a lot of misinformation spoken about the event, Damien, the National Workers Alliance and myself'. 'Neither Damien or I have ever been members of Nazi organisations and we have no connection with the NSN,' he told the ABC. 'I am a free speech advocate and have no control over who purchases online tickets to my events.' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he was 'disgusted' at the footage. 'I was shocked enough when I saw the salute, disgusted when I heard the applause,' he said. 'They might think they did it in a private place, but the moment you put things online there's a new legal question on whether it was done publicly, so that will be something our authorities will work through.'
Perth Now
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Posters target actor accused of Nazi act: court
A former well-known Aussie actor turned political activist has been targeted in a poster campaign after he was accused of performing a banned Nazi gesture, a court has been told. Damien Richardson, 55, appeared in the Moorabbin Magistrates' Court on Tuesday for the first time after police laid the charge last December. It's alleged Mr Richardson performed a Nazi gesture while speaking at an event hosted by the National Workers Alliance at a restaurant in McKinnon on September 14. In footage of the alleged act, Mr Richardson can be heard saying; 'am I allowed to do that or am I going to be fined now?' 'This is absurd, this is insane, this is crazy.' The former Neighbours star declined to comment as he left court. NewsWire / Aaron Francis Credit: News Corp Australia The National Workers Alliance bills itself as an organisation working for the 'preservation of western culture and identity'. Mr Richardson's lawyer, Peter Monagle, told the court paperwork had been filed identifying issues in the prosecution case disputed by Mr Richardson. Requesting his client's address be redacted from court documents released to the media, Mr Monagle told the court there had been posters placed near Mr Richardson's home. 'There has been a concerted effort, Your Honour, to get Mr Richardson to feel shame … by some in that area,' he said. The matter was adjourned until June 20 by Magistrate Angela Bolger. Police allege Mr Richardson performed a banned Nazi gesture. Supplied. Credit: NewsWire Responding on social media after his charges made headlines last December, Mr Richardson said the 'mockingbird media came after me because I defended White Australia'. 'I haven't been charged with doing a 'Nazi Salute' contrary to the MSM recent feeding frenzy. Even the police in their 'wisdom' stopped short of making such a plaintively false accusation,' he said. 'However, in its stead, I have been charged with something far more Orwellian, opaque and sinister. The contortion of language involved is extraordinary. I'll leave it to my legal team to try to explain it to me.' Mr Richardson was prominent in the anti-vaccine movement. NewsWire/Sarah Matray Credit: News Corp Australia The former soap star, known for his work on Neighbours, McLeods Daughters and Blue Heelers among other roles in Australian TV shows and movies, twice ran for political office after retiring from acting in 2021. As a candidate for the Freedom Party, Mr Richardson unsuccessful campaigned at both the Victorian and Federal elections in 2022. Since then he has embarked on a career as an alt-right speaker and podcaster, claiming he is being persecuted as a scapegoat by the government after opposing vaccine mandates and lockdowns. Mr Richardson was supported in court by his mother. NewsWire / Aaron Francis Credit: News Corp Australia In October 2023, laws passed by the Victorian parliament came into force criminalising the public display of Nazi symbols and gestures through the Nazi Salute Prohibition Bill. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment and a $23,000 fine. Several people have been charged with performing the banned gesture since the laws came into effect, including self-described neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant. In November, Hersant became the first person convicted and was sentenced to one month jail but was freed on bail and plans to appeal the conviction.
News.com.au
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Damien Richardson: Neighbours actor turned political activist in court over alleged banned Nazi gesture
A former well-known Aussie actor turned political activist has been targeted in a poster campaign after he was accused of performing a banned Nazi gesture, a court has been told. Damien Richardson, 55, appeared in the Moorabbin Magistrates' Court on Tuesday for the first time after police laid the charge last December. It's alleged Mr Richardson performed a Nazi gesture while speaking at an event hosted by the National Workers Alliance at a restaurant in McKinnon on September 14. In footage of the alleged act, Mr Richardson can be heard saying; 'am I allowed to do that or am I going to be fined now?' 'This is absurd, this is insane, this is crazy.' The National Workers Alliance bills itself as an organisation working for the 'preservation of western culture and identity'. Mr Richardson's lawyer, Peter Monagle, told the court paperwork had been filed identifying issues in the prosecution case disputed by Mr Richardson. Requesting his client's address be redacted from court documents released to the media, Mr Monagle told the court there had been posters placed near Mr Richardson's home. 'There has been a concerted effort, Your Honour, to get Mr Richardson to feel shame … by some in that area,' he said. The matter was adjourned until June 20 by Magistrate Angela Bolger. Responding on social media after his charges made headlines last December, Mr Richardson said the 'mockingbird media came after me because I defended White Australia'. 'I haven't been charged with doing a 'Nazi Salute' contrary to the MSM recent feeding frenzy. Even the police in their 'wisdom' stopped short of making such a plaintively false accusation,' he said. 'However, in its stead, I have been charged with something far more Orwellian, opaque and sinister. The contortion of language involved is extraordinary. I'll leave it to my legal team to try to explain it to me.' The former soap star, known for his work on Neighbours, McLeods Daughters and Blue Heelers among other roles in Australian TV shows and movies, twice ran for political office after retiring from acting in 2021. As a candidate for the Freedom Party, Mr Richardson unsuccessful campaigned at both the Victorian and Federal elections in 2022. Since then he has embarked on a career as an alt-right speaker and podcaster, claiming he is being persecuted as a scapegoat by the government after opposing vaccine mandates and lockdowns. In October 2023, laws passed by the Victorian parliament came into force criminalising the public display of Nazi symbols and gestures through the Nazi Salute Prohibition Bill. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment and a $23,000 fine. Several people have been charged with performing the banned gesture since the laws came into effect, including self-described neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant. In November, Hersant became the first person convicted and was sentenced to one month jail but was freed on bail and plans to appeal the conviction.
