White Australia party is ‘modern manifestation’ of Nazi movement and should be banned, commonwealth tells high court

White Australia party leader Thomas Sewell at a March for Australia anti-immigration rally in Melbourne last year. The commonwealth cited Sewell’s past criminal convictions while arguing the group should be banned. Photograph: Joel Carrett/EPA

The White Australia party is a “modern manifestation” of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi movement and would motivate hate crimes against sections of the country, the high court has heard.

The White Australia party, formerly known as the National Socialist Network (NSN), was designated as an illegal hate group in May after the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (Asio) passed on its recommendation to the home affairs minister, Tony Burke.