| Australian National Action | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | National Action |
| Founders |
|
| Leader | Jim Saleam (first) Michael Brander (last) |
| Foundation | February 1982 [3] |
| Dates of operation | 1982 – 1995 |
| Dissolved | 1995 |
| Country | Australia |
| Motives | The promotion of Australian patriotism and restriction of immigration [4] |
| Headquarters | Tempe, New South Wales [5] |
| Newspaper | Audacity(1983–1989) [6] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Right-wing [11] to far-right [12] |
| Size | est. 500 (1989) [13] |
| Opponents | |
Australian National Action, commonly known as National Action, [15] was an Australian far-right militant organization established in 1982 and active until 1995. Founded by Jim Saleam and Frank Salter, alongside other fifteen people, [16] NA described itself as an Australian nationalist movement that sought to defend Australia’s White and European identity by combating multiculturalism and immigration —particularly from Asia— through a strategy of “political guerrilla warfare”. [17] Initially a student-based movement, NA evolved into a more aggressive organization reacting against multiculturalism, which they perceived as threats to a predominantly White Australian society. [18]
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Ideologically, National Action drew inspiration from the radical nationalist tradition in early labourist movements, being influenced by historical figures such as William Lane and P.R. Stephensen, and argued that Australia as a country should remain predominantly a White, European nation with homogenous values and beliefs, based on its labour-nationalist-republican political tradition. [19] NA was characterized by a hierarchical structure characterized by its authoritarian leadership, and they supported militant direct action to achieve its political goals. [17] Among their targets were racial minorities, immigrants, homosexuals and organizations supportive of progressive causes. [20]
After a failed attempt to depose National Action’s leadership, Jack van Tongeren alongside other radical members from NA split from the organization and formed the Australian Nationalist Movement (ANM) in 1985, where he established himself as their “supreme leader”. [21] The ANM was founded under a National Socialist program, and carried a violent campaing against Asian inmigration by firebombing a number of Chinese restaurants. [22] Van Tongeren wished to outbid National Action’s militancy as they saw it as competition to control the anti-Asian movement, starting a smear campaign against its ‘leftist’ leadership to eliminate them. [23] However, it is suspected that both groups remained connected. [24]
In January 1989, two National Action members carried out a shotgun attack into the home of African National Congress representative Eddie Funde, leading to their charge alongside Saleam as the provider of the weapon. [11] Saleam’s imprisonment in 1991, alongside the murder of a member in NA’s headquarters in Tempe that same year, lead to the group’s decline. [25] Saleam pleaded not guilty to his charge, claiming that he was set up by police, but was still imprisoned for three years. [5] Saleam later became the New South Wales chairman of the Australia First Party, and stood as its endorsed candidate several times. [25] The NA would last until 1995, before Pauline Hanson emerged and began the process of popularizing and polarizing the group’s nationalist platform. [26]