‘This Sickness Must Be Removed’: Ley Urges Government to Address Extremism

She also urged a rethink of Labor’s migration program, labelling it rushed and chaotic.
‘This Sickness Must Be Removed’: Ley Urges Government to Address Extremism
Australia's Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley speaks at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 13, 2025. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images
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Opposition Leader Sussan Ley “felt sick” when watching a clip of neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell verbally attack Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan at a press conference on Sept. 2.

Ley warned of a dangerous rise in extremist activity and political intimidation.

“This sickness has to be removed,” she said on Sept. 3.

“We need to de-radicalise, de-escalate, work together as a society to tackle what I’m seeing as a troubling trend—an escalation in political violence,” she told Nine.

She added that she was worried by the increase in hatred and intimidation, and called on the government to do more to remove “this sickness.”

“This is not who we are as Australians. This is not the country that I migrated to as a teenager for a better chance at a life that has delivered so much,” she said

Allan, who was targeted during her press event, later said she was “unharmed and undeterred.” The incident has fuelled fresh debate about how Australia tackles extremism in public life.

Migration Debate Fuels Tensions

The incident comes just days after Australia’s capitals were swept by rallies driven by calls to slow down migration
Naziya Alvi Rahman
Naziya Alvi Rahman
Author
Naziya Alvi Rahman is a Canberra-based journalist who covers political issues in Australia. She can be reached at [email protected].