The Timaru Herald

Political forces unite to reject far right

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A series of powerful political campaigns will seek to defeat farright candidates at the federal election as major parties and activist groups warn against the rise of extremism in the wake of the Christchur­ch terror attacks.

Australian­s will be urged to reject Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and controvers­ial Queensland senator Fraser Anning amid accusation­s they have inflamed racial hatred.

The fortunes of the far-right have depended in the past on preference deals with the major parties, but similar arrangemen­ts are now off the agenda ahead of the election. Labor has vowed to put One Nation and Anning last on its how-to-vote cards at the election in May, while the union movement and activist group GetUp! are also preparing to mobilise against right-wing candidates.

A Liberal Party spokesman said the party ‘‘will not be doing any preference deals’’ with One Nation and would urge voters to reject Anning.

Anning cannot be expelled from the Senate without the chamber first voting to amend the Parliament­ary Privileges Act of 1987 to restore this historic power, an unlikely scenario given fears the power would be abused.

The government and the opposition are co-operating on a bipartisan censure motion against him over his remarks last Friday, when he blamed Muslims for the attacks against them, but only a defeat at an election can deprive him of his Senate position and salary.

GetUp! chief Paul Oosting said Anning’s comments should be condemned and the Coalition should ‘‘get their own house in order’’ on their inflammato­ry language on race.

‘‘We need to get all hate speech out of politics,’’ he said.

GetUp! and the union movement dedicated hundreds of volunteers to the by-elections last July and are preparing to do the same at the general election, testing their ability to counter One Nation and Anning.

ACTU national secretary Sally McManus labelled Anning a fascist and said the union movement’s campaign across the country would tell voters that migrants were not the cause of labour hire ‘‘rip-offs’’ and low wages.

‘‘People like him have cynically used race and religion to further their own political agenda by dividing, distractin­g and spreading lies. They and their tactics are dangerous and despicable,’’ McManus said.

‘‘Our living standards are going backwards because of the policies of the Morrison government, not because of any religion.’’

Hanson said on Monday she would abstain on the censure motion against Anning, who entered Parliament as one of her candidates before joining Katter’s Australia Party and then sitting as an independen­t.

Labor legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said it was ‘‘disgracefu­l’’ that Hanson would abstain on the censure motion rather than condemn Anning.

‘‘It’s because of the conduct of One Nation that Labor will be putting One Nation and Senator Anning last at the next election, and we call on all of the mainstream parties to put Senator Anning and One Nation last,’’ Dreyfus said.

The Nationals, however, are leaving their options open.

‘‘Fraser Anning’s comments and actions have been abhorrent and should be viewed with disdain,’’ said Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack.

‘‘When it comes to preference­s, as is the case with every election, The Nationals are a grass roots party and decisions are made at a state and local level. These decisions will be made closer to election day when all the candidates are known.’’

 ?? NINE ?? One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is among the far-right candidates to be targeted at this year’s federal election.
NINE One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is among the far-right candidates to be targeted at this year’s federal election.

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