Nationals ban 22 members for life after investigation into neo-Nazi links

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, the federal Nationals’ leader and a NSW MP, pledged an ongoing investigation into members’ alleged links to white supremacist groups or neo-Nazi circles.

“We are glad the investigation was handled quickly and effectively, but will not rest until every last one of these extremists have been identified and removed from the party,” Mr McCormack said.

State director Ross Cadell said he was “certain” the party had identified all the alleged radicals, but told Fairfax Media: “Who knows who will try and join tomorrow … vigilance is ongoing.”

The party did not release the names of the 22 people hit with the lifetime ban and Mr Cadell declined to confirm the names of anyone on the list.

On Wednesday, a group of 15 former members resigned, led by Clifford Jennings, who was elected to the NSW Young Nationals’ executive earlier this year after recruiting enough new members to stack out the election. Another four people have also resigned during the course of the investigation.

Mr Jennings denied he was a white supremacist or neo-Nazi, but admitted to having “radical” views in the past. In a resignation letter, he accused the Nationals of betraying its founders’ wishes by adopting pro-immigration policies.

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“Opening Australia to mbad Third World immigration is not ‘moderate’. It is extremist,” he wrote.

Mr Jennings also advocated the White Australia Policy, arguing he and his fellow travellers “follow the clbadical liberal principles that formed the basis of the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901”.

His 1300-word letter to the party also disparaged the “left-propaganda agency ironically named the Australian Broadcasting Corporation” and accused the party of collaborating with left-wing blogs.