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 Hitler stunt leaves Australia First cold 

Hitler stunt leaves Australia First cold

15/09/2008 1:52:00 PM
Voters at several Sutherland and Cronulla booths were confronted with a Hitler lookalike on Saturday spruiking the Australia First Party.

"Steve the national socialist'' was the creation of a Sutherland Shire resident who visited at least three polling places clutching a poster of "Kitler'', a black and white cat with markings reminiscent of the dictator's moustache.

"Steve'' also wore a narrow moustache and a red armband featuring a swastika.

A satirical video of the visits was posted on YouTube late on Sunday night.

But the party's Sydney branch chairman Jim Saleam wasn't laughing about the stunt yesterday.

"There will be a complaint lodged regarding two men with a video camera who visited several voting places on Saturday,'' he said.

"They have committed a series of electoral breaches, including handing out false and misleading information to voters.''

Mr Saleam said the complaint would include at least two websites the party believed were connected to the incident.

"There are a number of standard lines people tend to trot out when they want to oppose us,'' he said.

"This Nazi rubbish is one of them.

"They went down like a lead balloon at most booths anyway, but it is actually quite a serious incident and we will be following through with a complaint.''

"Steve'' said he had been inspired to make his video after reading about the party in the media and on the internet.

"Most people took it with a smile and a laugh,'' he said.

"You can see from the video we approached it in a polite, non-threatening way.

"Some people were a little surprised at first but it was very clear we were being humorous about the whole thing and that was generally the spirit in which it was received.''

Check out Steve's satirical video and tell us what you think. WARNING: The video contains images which may offend some people.

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Date: Newest first | Oldest first
Will those National Socialists ever give up?
Posted by Winston on 15/09/2008 4:33:15 PM
I'm a supporter of protest and street theatre, I do not support Australia First or Jim Saleam. I do not support the obvious misleading satire of Steve at official polling booths. People have enough trouble getting the truth about the minor parties and when people are lying at the booths it doesn't help. I hope the complaints are taken seriously and this doesn't happen again!
Posted by Direct Democracy on 15/09/2008 5:42:34 PM
Electoral breaches such as this are a direct attack on our democratic system. I hope these louts are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Posted by Churchill on 15/09/2008 5:56:50 PM
People would probably the Nazi thing at Aus First less if their membership didn't have such a large proportion of neo-Nazis.
Posted by Cam on 15/09/2008 6:02:59 PM
But seriously folks, can you imagine if this idiot was REALLY brave and had been lampooning Islamist Fundamentalists? He's picked an 'easy target' and will almost certainly get away with an outrageous contempt of the electoral laws simply because his target is deemed 'open season'... My message to the voters? THINK!!!
Posted by Jerry Cornelius on 15/09/2008 7:16:59 PM
I can't work out which is the bigger joke. The video, kitler or leaflets from Australia First's website. If we can't lobby and protest at polling booths there really isn't much democracy taking place (though deliberately misleading would be a problem I don't think that took place). I also noticed that the AFP considered their election result a "success" (http://ausfirst.alphalink.com.au/2008electionssuccess.html) . Now that's funny.
Posted by David on 16/09/2008 10:15:45 AM
Racist white supremacists were harrassed?! This is an outrage! Those noble social outcasts who choose to vilify people along flimsy racial lines should not have to put up with this type of provocation!!
Posted by Liam on 16/09/2008 4:02:30 PM
its a serious offence to do this at a election venue , plainly aust first are right, if this was done to liberal or labor , he would have been detained by the police as soon as he appeared , in one way you can understand as by the look of him hes never had a girlfriend in his life ,so what better to do than disrupt a election with his criminal and stupid uni student stunt
Posted by peter on 16/09/2008 5:15:59 PM
Cam and Liam, My relative and friend were the ones harassed at the polling booth, whom both are neither neo-nazi's / racist white supremacists "nor noble social outcasts". Both are Australian people, (Australians are a people too). Australia is the Australian's Nation. For you both to state what you have, is dangerous, beligerent and extremely provocative and vilifying Australians in their own nation. I think you both, and lets quote our favorite quote here that's been flogged to death in media and some other lots, I think you both have "taken this out of context"
Posted by An Oppressed Australian (of the Australian people). on 16/09/2008 10:49:59 PM
I think these two bananas that staged this farce "Steve and cohort" really ought to go back to sitting on the sofa with watching their Chasers War on Everything and Sacha Baron Cohen's (Borat) and remain their own tryhards and wannabes and keep it in their own lounge rooms amongst themselves instead (and/or hiding behind their computers as all all these types do - Virtual world - missing the REAL world ). Nice attempt at take off guys but complete junk. Good on you kudos to The Leader for even sinking low to publish these guys rot. I don't know who is worse. Guaranteed neither The Leader nor those two will release nor publish the facts of what they did how they turned up to the polls screaming out "We are the Australia First Party" repeatedly and yet not releasing their TRUE identity or where from....... That's complete misrepresentation on those two chaps' parts. For those people at polls not familiar with the A.F.P, they could have and WOULD have and also quite few electors DID, actually mistake those two as being "actual" Australia First Party members and people.
Posted by Voter on 16/09/2008 11:17:34 PM
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Vexacious volunteer: Steve the national socialist'', with a poster of his mascot Kitler'', raised the ire of the Australia First Party.
Vexacious volunteer: "Steve the national socialist'', with a poster of his mascot "Kitler'', raised the ire of the Australia First Party.

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