Source : Perth Now news
The Nationalist Socialist Network has become the second group listed as a prohibited hate group under laws passed in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack.
From midnight on Friday, providing support for, funding, training, recruiting, joining or directing the NSN, also known as White Australia, will constitute a criminal offence with maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the change did not stop “bigoted people from having horrific ideologies”.
“But, it does prevent this group from organising, meeting and prevent some of the sorts of horrific bigoted rallies we have seen around our country,” he said.
“It sends a clear message to people who believe in racial supremacy that their views have no place in modern Australia.”
Mr Burke said the group, which he referred to as neo-Nazis, had announced they would disband.
“Effectively what they did for want of a better term is a phoenix,” he said.
“(They) changed their name, they did not change the fact they were still an organisation and still engaged in the exact sort of behaviour that met the threshold for this legislation.”
Mr Burke said the government was advised on April 22 by ASIO that the threshold for listing as a prohibited hate group had likely been met.
Hizb ut-Tahrir was also listed under the framework earlier this year.
More to come
