Moira Deeming (Getty)

Weaponising the Nazi smear

Labor and the Libs’ shameful treatment of Moira Deeming

The quality of political discourse in Australia continues to surprise on the downside, but the weaponising of the Nazi smear for domestic political point scoring has been particularly disturbing.

In Melbourne on 18 March, there was a rally organised by the Let Women Speak movement headlined by visiting British women’s rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker. The event was supported by some prominent local women including Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming, former Liberal candidate Katherine Deves, and activist Angie Jones.

Their event held near the Victorian Parliament House was crashed by 15 to 20 Nazis, young men dressed in black shorts, shirts, hats and mostly masked. There was some very odd policing. While the trans-activists’ counter-protest was held back by police, the Nazi group was waved through and marched in formation to the proximity of the women’s rally doing Heil Hitler salutes which they repeated on the steps of parliament.

Almost instantly, politicians and the media began smearing the women involved in Let Women Speak as themselves being Nazis, having Nazi values or at least being closely associated with Nazis.

Premier Dan Andrews led a pile-on stating, ‘anti-trans activists gathered to spread hate. And on the steps of our parliament, some of them performed a Nazi salute’, immediately conflating the women with the Nazis. He went on to say Nazis weren’t welcome (of course), expressed support for the trans community and said he would move to ban the Nazi salute.

Read the article by David Adler in The Spectator.