By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
GREENS MP Nina Springle has again slammed Casey Councillor Rosalie Crestani for being the MC at this month’s Reclaim Australia rally in Melton.
South Eastern Metropolitan State Greens MP Ms Springle accused Cr Crestani on Monday of promoting “right-wing extremism” and said Reclaim Australia “buys into the logic of terrorism”.
“We acknowledge the tremendous pain, suffering and tragic loss of so many people in terrorist attacks over the last few weeks,” Ms Springle, the Victorian Greens’ spokesperson for multicultural affairs, said.
“Violent extremism must be resisted – but not with the kind of right-wing extremism that Cr Crestani and Reclaim Australia promotes.
“Reclaim Australia buys into the logic of terrorism, which is all about fear, division and us-versus-them.
“It’s exactly what we don’t need.”
It’s the second time Ms Springle has criticised Cr Crestani, who is also the deputy leader of Danny Nalliah’s Rise Up Australia Party (RUAP).
After she was MC at Reclaim’s previous rally in Melbourne’s CBD in July, Ms Springle said Cr Crestani should be “condemned” for participating in it, which later led to the two breaking bread over lunch at Parliament House.
But Ms Springle’s criticism this week saw Cr Crestani hitting back on Monday, labelling her claims of extremism as “delusional and ignorant”.
“Nina was not at the rally that I know. If she was, she would’ve seen that as MC, I invited an Aboriginal elder named Aunty Majorie who took the Reclaim stage at Melton in support and I also acknowledged the traditional custodians of our land,” she said.
“Opening the rally also with a statement that ‘racists and Nazis go home’ also dispels Ms Springle’s false statement.”
Cr Crestani also hit back directly at Ms Springle’s statement claiming Reclaim Australia “buys into the logic of terrorism”.
“Whatever does that statement mean anyway? My involvement in Reclaim has been to expose the basis for the Islamic terrorist attacks,” Cr Crestani said.
“What I want to buy in to is a safety and security for all Australians and preserve Australian culture and patriotism.”
The Four Oaks councillor has now invited Ms Springle to next month’s rally in Cronulla, New South Wales, in the “spirit of diplomacy”.
