MELBOURNE, 31 August 2022: A Victoria Parliamentary inquiry initiated by the Greens earlier this year has found Far Right extremism threatens the state and also multicultural communities. The report was submitted to Parliament on 30 August 2022.
According to the ABC, the key points o are – the inquiry has made 12 recommendations to the government to counter far-right extremism in Victoria, the government will have six months to respond to the recommendations and the inquiry heard that minors are increasingly the subject of terrorism investigations.
A Greens media release says, ” It found that inequality, social isolation, and economic insecurity increased susceptibility to extremist narratives and that these social conditions were exacerbated by the disruptions of the pandemic.
The report also found that racism and racist scapegoating were common elements of far-right extremist ideologies, putting multicultural communities at risk. Other targeted groups such as LGBTIQA+ people and women were also found to be at risk.”
Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam said, ” “There is no place for far-right extremism in Victoria.
“This inquiry was the first of its kind in Australia and has laid bare what the Greens have been worried about for years: that the threat of far-right extremism is on the rise in Victoria.
“This report issues a challenge to governments around the country to take this threat seriously and to act to protect our communities and keep us safe.
“Our leaders have a duty to act – to denounce racism and increase social cohesion – if we want to prevent the rise of far-right extremism.”
REPORT LINK – Inquiry into Extremism in Victoria
