Across the world’s democracies, the left and the far-right are competing for the votes of workers. In many countries, the far-right has triumphed, and progressives have retreated to a minority position. Australia still has a chance to avoid this outcome – but the window is closing. This report outlines the role for workers and their unions in taking on the far-right in Australia. It is a diagnostic framework and a manual for action developed for citizens, community leaders and policymakers who recognise the threat of far-right politics and are determined to prevent Australia from succumbing to it. 

The report describes the structural, persuasive and circumstantial drivers of far-right movements in the Australian community. It analyses the rise of far-right politics in Australia with a particular focus on Victoria. The report describes the underlying logic of far-right political thinking and the specific rhetorical strategies it uses to win over workers. From this, the report identifies the political shifts that need to be undertaken in order to prevent their strategies from succeeding. 

Key findings

• Across international case studies, the far-right becomes entrenched when it hits 15% of the national vote share. 
• In the 2025 federal election, they received ~12.5% of the Australian Senate vote. 
• Organised workers have to become the strategic centre of anti-far-right politics in Australia.