Australian Electoral Commission Tells Neo-Nazi Group Application Needs Full Member Details

The Australia Electoral Commission informed the White Australia party that its application to register as a political party remains invalid because the group submitted a redacted list of 1,779 members. The commission stated that full contact details for each member, as they appear on the electoral roll, must be provided before any formal decision can be issued.

Electoral rules prevent the commission from making a final determination until after the writs for the Farrer byelection are returned before 10 July.

The White Australia party and its national president Thomas Sewell filed a constitutional challenge in the High Court of Australia on Friday against the federal government’s designation of the group as a banned hate group. The group’s solicitor, Matthew Hopkins, argued that the law used to ban the organization burdens freedom of governmental and political communication.

Court documents state that Sewell represents 1,778 members and that the party registered as an incorporated association in Victoria on 20 December last year. The group told the commission it intentionally redacted member names to avoid identifying individuals and said it would submit the full list after the High Court issues a ruling.

It also requested an order preventing the commonwealth from taking action against the group while the case proceeds.

Australian electoral law, a party must submit between 1,500 and 1,650 verified members to qualify for registration. The commission verifies each member’s details against the electoral roll. Individual members of the White Australia party may still stand as independents in the next federal election without using the party name or logo on ballots.

The group’s application to the commission described its objective as the preservation of Anglo-Celtic heritage for the Australian people.