STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator SHELDON (New South Wales—Chief Government Whip in the Senate) (13:49): At the last election the Liberal Party worked hand in glove with the Exclusive Brethren to influence, coerce and intimidate voters and candidates across the country. The Exclusive Brethren secretly flew their members to seats across the country to campaign, often in an aggressive and un-Australian manner.

Many of us in this chamber saw it with our own two eyes, and that is worrying enough. But this week we've seen new, even more extraordinary revelations in the media. The Liberals and the Exclusive Brethren were coordinating with known Neo-Nazi associates throughout the campaign.

The Brethren senior leadership were paying these Nazi associates to stalk members of parliament and candidates and to harass them as they engaged in their communities or in media events. One of these associates, Laurence McIntyre, is a member of Neo-Nazi groups on Telegram and has attended their gatherings in Melbourne. When McIntyre wasn't hanging out at Neo-Nazi meetups, he was being paid by the Brethren to stalk and harass members of parliament.

And when the Brethren weren't handing duffel bags stuffed with cash to Nazis, they were coordinating campaign tactics with Peter Dutton's office. I know many of those opposite would be horrified to know that they are only one step removed from financing Neo-Nazi associated political campaigns. Some of them have claimed that about talking about this is anti-religion.

Well, I can promise you I am not antireligion, but I am anti-Nazi. That should be a bipartisan position in this Senate.