Tuesday, 18 February 2025

 Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (13:27): I rise to speak on the blatant public gathering of white supremacists in Elwood this weekend. For years the Greens have been sounding the alarm on the rise of far-right extremism in this state and across the country, and in 2022 there was a parliamentary inquiry, which the Greens were instrumental in pushing for, looking at how to counter this threat of far-right extremism in Victoria. The inquiry heard credible evidence of the ways that far-right groups recruit, indoctrinate and manipulate particularly young people, seeking to desensitise and then normalise extreme and bigoted views. Far-right extremists exploit fractures in our community like rising levels of social isolation, distrust and suspicion of institutions like the government and the media, and of course growing economic inequity.

We do not – none of us in this place, I am sure – want far-right extremist networks seeding hate and misinformation in our communities. I reiterate the calls my colleagues have made in this place, notably Dr Ratnam, who has previously asked this place to ‘take this threat seriously’ and to do and fund the things that:

… we know can inoculate our communities from these threats and keep us safe. It involves doing the work of anti-racism. Three years since the consultation we still do not have our anti-racism strategy. We need dedicated community-building and social connection programs that build the bonds of trust and cohesion between people in the community and break down fears, stereotypes and distance between people.

More time has elapsed, and those calls have only become more urgent.