MYM – The Far Right

Ian, when you think of the far right, what does that mean to you, that term?

Well, historically, traditionally, I always thought of those people who were sort of anti-government, paranoid,

see

conspiracy, believe all sorts of things, nationalistic, fearful of the others.

Migrants are always the problem.

The other is always causing some unknown.

And generally thought of them exactly as you said, rather fringe.

Yeah.

You know, people with unusual views, generally not very mainstream, who often had an unusual relationship with the world and suspicious of those things that most of the rest of us sort of trusted.

So, you know, and any sort of popular vote, you know, 5% or less.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And he's going, oh, well, not too much to worry about.

So that kind of idea, the popularity, how that's come to now be whatever it is, 15%, 20%.

And I guess most worryingly, the way it seems to be attractive to-

Well, 15%, 20% in some places.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well- increasingly, if you look at sort of recorded popular votes in fairly what were thought to be fairly stable democratic countries in one way or another.

Yeah, not in Australia.

Not apparently.

No.

I mean, that's an interesting point you make.

I think probably overrepresented in the media in Australia as a perspective, rather than as a percentage of the voting public, if you like.

But I think the other bit that people become concerned about is not, so it's always been there as a kind of an alternative, but generally fringe kind of idea.