Far-right hate speaker tours in Australia: ideologies, platforms, risks, and effective interventions

This paper examines the speaking tours of international speakers who propagate far-right ideologies, the risks they pose to society, and the effective mechanisms available that can be employed to disrupt the dissemination of their message. Five tours that took place between 2015 and 2019 were analyzed through a case study approach. Data from public records, articles, media platforms, and websites were collected and analyzed using a coding framework. The findings indicate that these tours promote white supremacist, anti-Muslim, anti-immigration, and misogynistic ideologies, that they exploit local concerns, and that they receive significant coverage from mainstream media and social media. Hate speech detrimentally affects minority groups’ sense of belonging, community relations, and societal harmony. Existing criminal law and legislative protections against hate speech in Australia were considered ineffective in challenging such speakers. This paper highlights the importance of evaluating the risks these speakers pose to the community and of how discretionary powers under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) are utilized to restrict their entry. Online platform restrictions, grassroots activism, and strong opposition from political and civic leaders were identified as effective countermeasures.