Australia Bans National Socialist Network as Prohibited Hate Group After It Raised Funds for High Court Challenge to New Speech Laws

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced the inclusion of the White Australia group, also known as the National Socialist Network (NSN), on the list of prohibited hate groups. The organisation had announced it was disbanding earlier in 2026 in an effort to evade the government's new hate speech laws, which were introduced in the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack.

Burke said the NSN thought by announcing they had disbanded that they had evaded the laws.

He said the government was confident the laws could survive a legal challenge. "None of this will stop bigoted people from having ideas, but it does prevent this group from organising, from meeting, and prevents some of the sorts of horrific, bigoted rallies that we've seen around our country," he said.

Listing as a hate group makes it a criminal offence to support, fund, train, recruit, join or direct the group, punishable by 15 years in prison. The NSN had raised more than $150,000 to challenge the hate speech laws in the High Court. An online fundraiser created by Thomas Sewell for the High Court case has raised $157,000 of its $175,000 goal.

Donation entries suggest some donors are based in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. One individual donation to the fundraiser exceeded $10,000. The donated money is to be used to pay legal fees of Paladin Lawyers.

Matthew Hopkins is a solicitor at Paladin Lawyers who previously represented Thomas Sewell in past criminal cases. An ABC investigation in September 2025 revealed that Matthew Hopkins had shared racist and antisemitic posts on social media. On Friday, Thomas Sewell claimed the NSN had filed paperwork for a legal challenge with the High Court that day.

In March 2026, NSN leader Thomas Sewell appeared in a vodcast alongside James Mason. The Canadian government listed James Mason as a terrorist entity in 2021. Sewell also said the group attempted to register a White Australia Party with the Australian Electoral Commission in April 2026.

The listing may affect groups associated with the NSN. Bec Walker is the national organiser of March for Australia (MFA). Bec Walker stated in the MFA national Telegram chat that the NSN helped with gaining traction and helped with other things she asked.

Bec Walker told ABC NEWS Verify that NSN members acted as marshals at MFA events on Australia Day to keep those marching safe and report any problems back to her. Jack Eltis is the NSW leader of the NSN.

Zachary Hook is an NSN member and one of the moderators of the MFA chat for the ACT. Zachary Hook helped organise an MFA community meeting in the ACT in March 2026. Michael Nelson is an NSN member who has been charged over booing and yelling racist slogans at an Anzac Day event in 2025.

Eli Toby is a 24-year-old man arrested and charged over allegedly booing at an Anzac Day service in Sydney; he also attended the NSN's November rally at NSW parliament house. MFA announced it was shutting down its main Telegram chat in response to the government's announcement. Abc reported these developments.