Cabinet's National Security Committee to receive briefing on right-wing extremist risk

Dozens of right-wing extremists are on terror watchlists, Victorian Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton says after the Christchurch attack.

An armed police officer patrols near the Linwood Mosque

The NZ mosque attacks have turned Australia's attention to the threat of right-wing extremism. Source: AAP

The cabinet's National Security Committee is due to receive an urgent briefing from ASIO and the AFP on the risk posed by right-wing extremists following the terror attacks on two New Zealand mosques.

ASIO director general Duncan Lewis and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin will brief Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who chairs the committee, and its members on Monday.

Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant allegedly stormed the Christchurch mosques, during Friday prayers and shot dead 50 Muslims and wounded dozens.
Nick Kaldas, a former NSW Police deputy commissioner and now a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the growth of right-wing extremists had not been adequately monitored.

"It has been clear for some years that there is a lot of activity in the right-wing group space,'' Mr Kaldas told The Australian.

"It's incumbent on authorities now that the threat has become so visible that they change tack and dedicate more resources to monitoring that type of group.''

It comes as Victorian Police revealed dozens of right wing extremists are on terror watch lists, and monitoring of the so-called alt-right has escalated after the deadly attack in New Zealand by an Australian.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton on Sunday said police were keeping tabs on the Victorian extremists, particularly online.

"After Friday we have intensified our monitoring of the alt-right individuals within Victoria," Mr Ashton said.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said dozens of right wing extremists are on terror watchlists.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said dozens of right wing extremists are on terror watchlists. Source: AAP
"We've been monitoring also a range of individuals since Friday, we're just making sure we're not seeing any increased levels of anxiety around any sort of action and certainly to date we haven't seen that."

Mr Ashton said he spoke with his federal counterpart about monitoring online rhetoric that might constitute a federal offence.

"These threats can emerge very quickly and often from very little information or intelligence beforehand," he said.

"You do the best you can, we make sure we're plugged into what's happening in the intelligence arena, particularly with our federal partners."
Mr Ashton was at Preston Mosque on Sunday alongside Premier Daniel Andrews as part of a pre-organised, statewide open mosque day.



Anti-immigration white nationalists violently leapt on a teenager who egged Queensland Senator Fraser Anning at an event in suburban Melbourne on Saturday.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews headed to  Preston Mosque on Sunday as part of an open day in the wake of the NZ attack.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews headed to Preston Mosque on Sunday as part of an open day in the wake of the NZ attack. Source: Getty Images
Among them was convicted criminal Neil Erikson who is currently going through the courts again.

Mr Ashton said he's directed his officers to go through footage of the incident in its entirety to consider whether assault charges and breach of bail offences might also come into play.


Share
3 min read

Published

Updated



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Cabinet's National Security Committee to receive briefing on right-wing extremist risk | SBS News