Far-right figure who visited ‘motherland’ Germany is close to forming national party

The neo-Nazi organiser of an anti-Jewish rally in Sydney went on a study tour to Germany, which he referred to as “the motherland”, to meet a far-right group as part of the National Socialist Network’s push to register as a political party and run for seats in Australia’s state and federal parliaments.

Amid growing fallout from Saturday’s police-approved rally outside the NSW Parliament, the Herald can also reveal intelligence officers knew about the gathering in advance, but Deputy Commissioner David Hudson, who oversees counter-terrorism and has been the force’s public face of the fight against antisemitism, was not briefed.

The revelation raises further questions of NSW Police’s handling of the saga after it emerged that another of the force’s deputy commissioners, Peter Thurtell, was briefed before the protest but did not relay the information to newly installed Commissioner Mal Lanyon.

Police investigations into Saturday’s rally are ongoing to determine if any offences were committed.

Thurtell, who oversees NSW Police’s metropolitan field operations, said he did not inform Lanyon of the rally in an “oversight” and has since apologised. In September, he told budget estimates the group was of “such concern” to police that counter-terrorism police and intelligence officers were “constantly monitoring” its activities.

NSW Police said counter-terrorism officers had prepared a briefing for the local police area command, which had oversight of the rally. Officers from the public order and riot squad, which Hudson also oversees, attended the gathering.

About 60 black-clad NSN members gathered outside NSW Parliament to call for the abolishment of Jewish lobby groups and protest against newly introduced hate speech legislation, triggering a political firestorm.

NSW Premier Chris Minns declared the protest should not have gone ahead, but Lanyon has argued existing laws may not have been strong enough to block it – a claim disputed by several legal experts.

With Thomas Sewell, the NSN’s national leader, in jail, Jack Eltis – a 28-year-old Sydney air-conditioner mechanic – has risen to second-in-command of the National Socialist Network, as well as leader of its NSW branch.

In June, Eltis said he went to Germany on a “combined business and personal” trip. He met with another nationalist organisation, JN, or Jung Nationalist. In a social media post sighted by this masthead and headed “shoutout to the motherland”, he said he was planning to return to Europe, “our ancestral lands”, to meet with other far-right organisations.

Minns on Saturday said he had struggled with giving the NSN the attention its members craved but said it was important to condemn the ugly scenes. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess has also warned that the NSN celebrates even the most critical coverage because it leads to a surge in membership applications.

The Herald and The Age have chosen not to repeat several of Eltis’ claims, but have published some information about his activities that are relevant to the political debate over Saturday’s protests and the ambitions of the NSN.

Eltis confirmed the network’s goal was to be represented in federal and state parliaments. “We’re closest with the federal party; we’re about 90 per cent of the way there,” he said.

In NSW, a political party needs at least 750 members to register, and 1500 federally.

Eltis said the party’s constitution was fully drafted and one plank of its policy platform was the mass deportation of people of Jewish faith.

On June 22, Eltis gathered with more than 30 other NSN members outside NSW parliament in a demonstration similar to Saturday’s rally. The group, standing alongside a banner that read “end immigration”, gathered to protest against mass immigration and the rising cost of living, according to a Form 1 notice lodged with NSW Police before the gathering.

Eltis claimed the NSW branch had almost 100 members. Most were recruited online and were directed to a regional representative who told the recruit more about the organisation as part of an “onboarding” process. He claimed members were a mix of white and blue-collar backgrounds and included a dentist.

In a speech to the Lowy Institute last week, Burgess said ASIO was paying close attention to the NSN. He warned that a key part of the group’s expansion strategy was to focus on issues with broad appeal.

“At its core, the National Socialist Network is anti-immigrant, anti-Indigenous, anti-gay, anti-Jew, anti-Islam and anti-anything that does not fit its white Anglo-centric world view,” Burgess said.

“Its version of social cohesion is monochrome and monocultural.

“Even if the organisation does not engage in terrorism, I remain deeply concerned by its hateful, divisive rhetoric and increasingly violent propaganda, and the growing likelihood these things will prompt spontaneous violence, particularly in response to perceived provocation.”

Amid the fallout from Saturday’s rally, the Minns government has flagged an urgent expansion of hate speech laws – including the banning of slogans – similar to laws in operation in Germany. That would be likely to include the phrase “blood and honour”, a slogan associated with the Hitler Youth and which the neo-Nazis chanted on the steps of NSW Parliament on Saturday.

On Tuesday, the NSW government said it would try to reintroduce separate laws allowing police to disperse protesters outside places of worship.

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley will attempt to legislate police powers to move on protesters who harass or intimidate those trying to access churches, synagogues and mosques.

Similar laws to those being reintroduced were struck down in the Supreme Court last month. Justice Anna Mitchelmore found the law “impermissibly burdens” the implied freedom of political expression. Daley will attempt to “balance community protections with the freedom of political expression” with the second attempt at the law.

In question time on Tuesday, dominated by Saturday’s rally, Daley condemned the “ugly and unacceptable display of hatred” outside NSW Parliament.

“I just want to be clear – this is open antisemitism,” he said. “Despite what these characters say, antisemitism is a particularly vile category of racism and, in my view, given what we have witnessed in history, sits in its own category of racial behaviour.”

Police Minister Yasmin Catley acknowledged there were communication failures that meant she was not informed about the rally.

This story has been updated to clarify Deputy Commission David Hudson’s role in fighting against antisemitism.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.