The Australian League of Rights is a

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

and

antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

political organisation in Australia. It was founded in Adelaide, South Australia, by

Eric Butler Eric Dudley Butler (7 May 1916 – 7 June 2006) was an Australian political activist and journalist, who in 1946 founded the far-right Australian League of Rights, which he led until 1992. He was known as a staunch anti-communist and virulent ...

in 1946, and organised nationally in 1960. It inspired groups like the

Canadian League of Rights The Canadian League of Rights (CLR) was the Canadian offshoot of Eric Butler's Australian League of Rights. Following speaking tours of Canada in the mid-1960s, Eric Butler sought to establish of a local version of his organisation. The CLR was for ...

(1968), the

New Zealand League of Rights The New Zealand League of Rights was the New Zealand offshoot of Eric Butler's Australian League of Rights. Following speaking tours of New Zealand in the late 1960s, Eric Butler sought to establish a local version of his organisation. A New Zeala ...

(1970) and the

British League of Rights The British League of Rights was an offshoot of the Australian League of Rights founded in 1971. It was an "anti-semitic and white supremacist" Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley (editors) entry in ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Polit ...

(1971), with principles based on the economic theory of Social Credit expounded by

C. H. Douglas Major Clifford Hugh "C. H." Douglas, MIMechE, MIEE (20 January 1879 – 29 September 1952), was a British engineer and pioneer of the social credit economic reform movement. Education and engineering career C.H. Douglas was born in either Edge ...

. The League describes itself as upholding the virtues of

freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

, with stated values of "loyalty to God, Queen and Country". In 1972, Butler created an umbrella group, the

Crown Commonwealth League of Rights The Crown Commonwealth League of Rights was an umbrella organisation founded in 1972 by Eric Butler for the various League of Rights organisations and to achieve membership of the World Anti-Communist League. Those organisations were: *Australian ...

, to represent these four groups, and which also served as a chapter of the

World League for Freedom and Democracy The World League for Freedom and Democracy (WLFD) is an international non-governmental organization of anti-communist politicians and groups. It was founded in 1952 as the World Anti-Communist League (WACL) under the initiative of Chiang Kai-shek ...

History

The League was formed in South Australia in 1946, with the national organisation being launched in 1960. The League formed offshoots in the white dominions: namely, Canada, New Zealand and Britain. In 1972, Butler created an umbrella group, the

, to represent these four groups; which also served as a chapter of the

World Anti-Communist League The World League for Freedom and Democracy (WLFD) is an international non-governmental organization of anti-communist politicians and groups. It was founded in 1952 as the World Anti-Communist League (WACL) under the initiative of Chiang Kai-sh ...

. It was also linked with far right groups in the United States such as the John Birch Society. The first Crown Commonwealth League of Rights conference was held in Melbourne in 1979. Veritas is the publishing company of the League, which publishes a weekly newsletter called ''On Target''.

Political views and ideology

From the start, the League has described itself as being based on the principles of Christianity. It is

anti-communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...

and anti-World Government. Its leaders argue in favour of capitalism, by promoting the inviolability of private property and individual enterprise. They are monarchist and opposed to

Australian republicanism Republicanism in Australia is a popular movement to change Australia's system of government from a constitutional parliamentary monarchy to a republic, replacing the monarch of Australia (currently Charles III) with a president. Republicanism ...

and see strong relations with Great Britain as fundamental to Australian identity. The League has been described as neo-Nazi in various sources although at least one writer differentiated it from neo-Nazi groups saying that unlike such groups, the League "under the leadership of Eric Butler, sought to maintain a veneer of respectability..." while using its publications to promote "the crudest forms of anti-Semitism... Butler's The International Jew presented the argument that "Hitler's policy was a Jewish policy". In ''Faces of hate: hate crime in Australia'' David Greason wrote: "The League is not Nazi, yet its propaganda themes are similar in many ways to those used in Nazi Germany 60 years ago. The League refuses to acknowledge any similarities with neo-Nazi organisations, and either points to its philosophical opposition to the centralisation of power, or claims that neo-Nazi organisations are created by powerful Jewish organisations to discredit patriotic groups. In fact, the League has always had a relationship of sorts with such groups. They read the same books, cite the same authorities, and blame the same scapegoats. The nuances of any anti-centralist philosophy are invariably lost on the average neo-Nazi".

Antisemitism

Andrew Moore has cited

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

as the "

touchstone Touchstone may refer to: * Touchstone (assaying tool), a stone used to identify precious metals * Touchstone (metaphor), a means of assaying relative merits of a concept Entertainment * ''Touchstone'' (album), a 1982 album by Chick Corea * T ...

of the League's ideology", although the League has in the past characterised antisemitism as "a political swear word used to criticise those who do not agree with Zionist policies". The League has described the Holocaust as the "alleged Holocaust" and the "Holocaust Hoax". Its founder,

, was well known for his antisemitism and support of such documents as the ''

Protocols of the Elders of Zion ''The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'' () or ''The Protocols of the Meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion'' is a fabricated antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan for global domination. The hoax was plagiarized from several ...

'', a well-known antisemitic hoax. The historian Andrew Markus wrote that "In the 1990s league publications were still promoting The Protocols, describing the Holocaust as a 'hoax', the invention of Zionist propagandists, identifying prominent Jews in public life and declaring that modern Christianity was 'little more than a form of Liberal Judaism'. The Jewish plot was also described using various code words, notably the 'one world conspiracy' hatched by 'international elites', international bureaucracies, international bankers, members of the Fabian Society, or the United Nations.". The League supported Holocaust denier David Irving and assisted his visits to Australia; Veritas published Irving's work in Australia.Atkins, Stephen E. entry on the league in ''Encyclopedia of modern worldwide extremists and extremist groups'' Greenwood Press (2004) p. 175

Opposition to liberal democracy

The league is opposed to liberal democracy, the

party system A party system is a concept in comparative political science concerning the system of government by political parties in a democratic country. The idea is that political parties have basic similarities: they control the government, have a stabl ...

and the processes of parliamentary democracy. However, the league has tried to use entryism or support various political parties and community or social groups. Butler in his book ''The Money Power versus Democracy'' (1940) stated "The Party system of Government can play little part, if any, in the struggle for real democracy. In principle, it is the antithesis of democracy." C. H. Douglas regarded the party system as a "criminal absurdity" and argued for the end of the

secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote ...

. He believed that with the implementation of social credit, party politics would end.

Connections to political parties

In the early 1970s, the League attempted to gain control of the National Party of Australia, encouraging members to join the party in sufficient numbers to take control, a tactic known as entryism. Doug Anthony, who had recently become the Nationals' leader, led an effort to defend the party from the League by recruiting people whom he could rely upon to vote against League candidates. After a struggle lasting several years, Anthony's forces prevailed. A consequence of this struggle was that the National Party had more members than either of the Labor or Liberal parties, despite always getting a fraction of the electoral support which the other two parties obtained. This fact became much more widely known than the reason for it, both sides having kept the struggle out of the media. Many years later various League members offered support to the One Nation party. Former Western Australian Labor MP, founder of the

Australia First Party The Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated, often shortened to the Australia First Party (AFP), is an Australian far-right political party founded in 1996 by Graeme Campbell. The policies of Australia First have been described as ultranat ...

and later One Nation member Graeme Campbell was associated with the league at the same time as he was a member of One Nation and Australia First. In 2001 Campbell stated that "Australia First has no association with the League. It's me with the association." During 1987 Liberal MP Alexander Downer made an address to the League, a fact which was not made publicly known until seven years afterwards, when Downer had become his party's leader; he was apparently unaware of the League's history at the time he made the speech. It was one of Downer's many mistakes that would ultimately see him step down from the leadership in 1995. Then treasurer Peter Costello, in 1998, stated that One Nation's policy of a state bank which would issue low-interest loans was directly taken from the League, and that "the League of Rights is driving its policy in relation to banking and money".

Connections to other groups

The League operates, and has operated, a number of front organisations such as the Institute of Economic Democracy, the Christian Institute of Individual Freedom, and the Australian Heritage Society. During the 1960s and 1970s some members of the League were also involved with the Rhodesia-Australia Association. This led to tensions within the Rhodesia-Australia Association. The league has been linked with Australians Against Further Immigration (AAFI).

Franca Arena Franca Arena (; born 23 August 1937) is an Australian politician and activist. She was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1981, first for the Labor Party then as an Independent from 1997 until she left the Council in 19 ...

raised a question in the

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in th ...

in 1994 about the links between the AAFI and the "notorious and dangerous League of Rights, which has been described as the most influential, effective, best organised and most substantially financed racist organisation in Australia". She questioned whether the AAFI was just a front for the League. In 1998 the Australian branch of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission issued a press release that "The Co-founder of Australians Against Further Immigration (AAFI), and One Nation's Victorian leader Robyn Spencer has addressed numerous League of Rights meetings as well as delivered a speech with League of Rights, Advisory National Director Eric Butler."

References

External links

Australian League of Rights website

Veritas website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian League Of Rights Anti-communist organizations Far-right politics in Australia Political parties established in 1960 Holocaust denial in Australia Australian social crediters Antisemitism in Australia 1960 establishments in Australia Anti-communism in Australia