National Action (Australia)
Encyclopedia
National Action was an Australia
n nationalist political party
. It had no representatives in any Australian parliament, at either state or national level. Its ideology dictated that it remain outside the "political system".
Its policies included the deportation of asylum seekers and the termination of Aboriginal
native title
. National Action espoused theories that a New World Order
is taking over the world and must be stopped. They were accused of being a neo-nazi party as its "chairman" James Saleam
Ph.D. was a member of the Australian Nazi party in the 1970s. National Action claimed, however, that it was a "National Bolshevik" party. Saleam claimed that the party was led collectively.
After the electoral successes of the New Right in Europe, during the early 1990s, the local leaderships "adopted some of the recruiting policies of their European counterparts, trying to attract angry young people into their ranks." This long-term strategy is the likely reason National Action remained a fringe group throughout the recession (1993-94). They never obtained a popular following as their members matured, for a number of possible reasons:
Saleam was imprisoned in 1991 for the plot against Funde.
In the mid-1990s, the success of the nationalist One Nation Party
led many National Action members to join One Nation to promote a broad anti-immigration agenda within the party. The subsequent implosion of One Nation (which was partially due to Saleam's machinations to take over One Nation) stymied this plan.
In recent years, attempts have been made to resurrect the party by Michael Brander, a rival of Saleam. These plans have had little impact due to the loss of Dr. Saleam's credibility amongst ex-members and other "racial-nationalists", many of whom had been attacked physically or slandered by Saleam. Saleam is often said by rivals to be of part Lebanese
origin, an allegation which he has denied on many occasions. The violent background of Brander, convicted and fined $3000 for assaulting an Asian opponent with a flagpole in 1995, http://home.mira.net/~sp/magazine/feb97/fawkner.htm caused renewed controversy in 2005 when Brander's work was published in the government-funded monthly magazine Quadrant
. Brander's appearance there was denounced by federal Labor
parliamentarian Michael Danby
(Danby's condemnation was quoted by Australian Jewish News
on 18 March 2005 and by The American Conservative
on 5 June 2006). Meanwhile Saleam has published online his doctoral thesis http://home.alphalink.com.au/~radnat/otherradicalism/, an elaborate coverage of the alliances and enmities within extreme-rightist Australian movements over recent decades.
National Action co-founder David Greason's book, I was a Teenage Fascist, tells of Greason's own time within the Australian neo-Nazi movement and the events behind the founding of National Action.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n nationalist political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. It had no representatives in any Australian parliament, at either state or national level. Its ideology dictated that it remain outside the "political system".
Its policies included the deportation of asylum seekers and the termination of Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
native title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
. National Action espoused theories that a New World Order
New World Order (conspiracy)
In conspiracy theory, the term New World Order or NWO refers to the emergence of a totalitarian one-world government.The common theme in conspiracy theories about a New World Order is that a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world through an...
is taking over the world and must be stopped. They were accused of being a neo-nazi party as its "chairman" James Saleam
Jim Saleam
Dr James Saleam is an Australian far-right activist and the current chairman of the Australia First Party. Saleam was a former member of the short-lived National Socialist Party of Australia in the early 1970s.Saleam co-founded National Action on Anzac Day, 1982...
Ph.D. was a member of the Australian Nazi party in the 1970s. National Action claimed, however, that it was a "National Bolshevik" party. Saleam claimed that the party was led collectively.
After the electoral successes of the New Right in Europe, during the early 1990s, the local leaderships "adopted some of the recruiting policies of their European counterparts, trying to attract angry young people into their ranks." This long-term strategy is the likely reason National Action remained a fringe group throughout the recession (1993-94). They never obtained a popular following as their members matured, for a number of possible reasons:
- its use of terrorismTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and intimidation against perceived enemies and rival "racial-nationalists"; - Saleam's conviction for insurance fraud in 1988;
- the public perception that it was a criminal gang; and
- its plans to fire-bomb a political rival's home and to murder anti-Apartheid activist Eddie Funde.
Saleam was imprisoned in 1991 for the plot against Funde.
In the mid-1990s, the success of the nationalist One Nation Party
One Nation Party
One Nation is a far-right and nationalist political party in Australia. It gained 22% of the vote translating to 11 of 89 seats in Queensland's unicameral legislative assembly at the 1998 state election and made major inroads into the vote of the existing parties...
led many National Action members to join One Nation to promote a broad anti-immigration agenda within the party. The subsequent implosion of One Nation (which was partially due to Saleam's machinations to take over One Nation) stymied this plan.
In recent years, attempts have been made to resurrect the party by Michael Brander, a rival of Saleam. These plans have had little impact due to the loss of Dr. Saleam's credibility amongst ex-members and other "racial-nationalists", many of whom had been attacked physically or slandered by Saleam. Saleam is often said by rivals to be of part Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
origin, an allegation which he has denied on many occasions. The violent background of Brander, convicted and fined $3000 for assaulting an Asian opponent with a flagpole in 1995, http://home.mira.net/~sp/magazine/feb97/fawkner.htm caused renewed controversy in 2005 when Brander's work was published in the government-funded monthly magazine Quadrant
Quadrant (magazine)
Quadrant is an Australian literary and cultural journal. The magazine takes a conservative position on political and social issues, describing itself as sceptical of 'unthinking Leftism, or political correctness, and its "smelly little orthodoxies"'. Quadrant reviews literature, as well as...
. Brander's appearance there was denounced by federal Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
parliamentarian Michael Danby
Michael Danby
Michael David Danby is an Australian politician and has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the Division of Melbourne Ports, Victoria...
(Danby's condemnation was quoted by Australian Jewish News
Australian Jewish News
Australian Jewish News is a Jewish newspaper in Australia which has been continuously printed since 1895. The weekly publication has been, for the most recent years of its existence, the nation's only print news publication aimed specifically at a Jewish readership and, from the start, assumed the...
on 18 March 2005 and by The American Conservative
The American Conservative
The American Conservative is a monthly U.S. opinion magazine published by Ron Unz. Its first editor was Scott McConnell, his successors being Kara Hopkins and the present incumbent, Daniel McCarthy....
on 5 June 2006). Meanwhile Saleam has published online his doctoral thesis http://home.alphalink.com.au/~radnat/otherradicalism/, an elaborate coverage of the alliances and enmities within extreme-rightist Australian movements over recent decades.
National Action co-founder David Greason's book, I was a Teenage Fascist, tells of Greason's own time within the Australian neo-Nazi movement and the events behind the founding of National Action.