Jim Saleam

James Saleam (/ˈseɪləm/; born 18 September 1955) is an Australian far-right extremist[3] and the current chairman of the Australia First Party. Saleam has been observed wearing a swastika armband and associating with neo-Nazi skinheads.[4] Saleam has been described as a white nationalist, who has been a strong advocate of barring further immigration to preserve a "self-contained, predominantly white nation resistant to further immigration or watering-down of its culture".[5][6]

Jim Saleam
Saleam at a nationalism rally, 2013
Chairman of the Australia First Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 July 2010
Deputy Chairman	Peter Schuback
Preceded by	Office established; Diane Teasdale (as President of the Federal Australia First Party)
General Secretary of the Australia First Party
In office 19 December 2002 – August 2007
President	Diane Teasdale
Preceded by	No immediate predecessor
Succeeded by	No immediate successor
Leader of the National Action Party
In office 25 April 1982 – 11 June 1997
Deputy	Ross May
Preceded by	Party established
Succeeded by	Michael Brander
Deputy Leader of the National Socialist Party of Australia
In office c. 1972 – 1975 Served with Ross May
Leader	Ted Cawthron
Preceded by	Frank Molnar
Succeeded by	Party dissolved
Personal details
Born	James Saleam (1955-09-18) 18 September 1955 Maryborough, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Australia First (2002–07; 2010—present)
Other political affiliations	See list National Socialist (until 1975) Independent (1975–82; 1999; 2002; 2007–10) National Action (1982–97) One Nation (1997–99) Australians Against Further Immigration (1999–02)
Spouse(s)	Jane Mengler ​ ( m. 1987; div.  1994) [1]
Children	2
Residence	Tempe, New South Wales, Australia
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Known for	Far-right activism, criminal convictions, neo-Nazism, founding National Action and Australia First Party[2]

Early life

Saleam, the son of Lebanese immigrants, was born on September 18, 1955 in Maryborough, Queensland.[7] In 1970, at the age 15 he joined the National Socialist Party of Australia. He was arrested and convicted for the fire-bombing a Maoist bookshop in Brisbane in 1972.[8]

Political activism

Before moving to the far-right, Saleam was a member of the Worker Student Alliance, a youth organisation involved with the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist–Leninist).[9]

In 1975, "much to his later chagrin", Saleam was photographed in full Nazi uniform at a public meeting.[9] On Anzac Day 1982, he co-founded National Action (NA), which eventually collapsed due to Saleam's convictions for property offences and fraud in 1984, possession of a prohibited article - a large nail-studded club in 1985, and for organising a shotgun attack in 1989 on African National Congress Australian representative Eddie Funde, for which he served three years in prison.[8][6][10]

After his release from prison, Saleam was awarded a PhD in politics from the University of Sydney by writing a thesis entitled The Other Radicalism: An Inquiry into Contemporary Australian Extreme Right Ideology, Politics And Organization 1975–1995.[11]

Saleam has acted as a mentor for the Patriotic Youth League.

In 2004, Saleam contested the NSW local government elections, and ran for Marrickville Council on an anti-refugee platform. In 2012, he ran for NSW local government election in the City of Blue Mountains.[12][13][14]

Australia First Party

Saleam was the Secretary of the Sydney branch of the Australia First Party (AFP) between 2002 and 2007, when he became its chairman, and sought to reestablish the party. In July 2009, he announced that it had reached its target of 500 members and was registering the New South Wales branch party with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and was reregistered on 13 June 2010, in time to contest the 2010 federal election.

AFP contested the 2013 federal election, Saleam standing in the seat of Cook on a platform to end refugee intakes, running against Scott Morrison. He received 617 votes, or 0.67% of the vote.

On 14 July 2015, the AEC deregistered the AFP due to its failure to demonstrate the required number of members. It was reregistered on 1 March 2016 as "Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated".[15]

Saleam stood at the 2016 federal election in the seat of Lindsay and received 1068 votes or 1.2% of the vote. He stood for AFP in the 2018 Longman by-election, receiving 709 votes or 0.8% of the vote.[16]

Saleam stood in the seat of Cootamundra, New South Wales, in the 2017 by-election as an independent, though still a member of Australia First, as the party is not registered for state elections.[17] He received 453 votes, 1% of the total. He again stood in the seat at the 2019 New South Wales state election as an independent, receiving 0.95% of the vote. Saleam's platform included the reintroduction of the White Australia policy and opposition to Chinese immigration.[18]

Personal life

Saleam married Jane Mengler in 1987. They had two children and divorced in 1994.[1]

Electoral history

Federal Parliament elections

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2013 Australian federal election in New South Wales § Cook[edit]

2013 Australian federal election: Cook[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Scott Morrison	55,707	60.35	+2.47
	Labor	Peter Scaysbrook	22,850	24.76	−4.05
	Greens	Mithra Cox	6,058	6.56	−1.17
	Palmer United	Matthew Palise	3,765	4.08	+4.08
	Christian Democrats	Beth Smith	1,981	2.15	+0.23
	Independent	Graeme Strang	1,321	1.43	−0.32
	Australia First	Jim Saleam	617	0.67	+0.67
Total formal votes			92,299	94.08	−0.11
Informal votes			5,813	5.92	+0.11
Turnout			98,112	94.17	−0.25
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Scott Morrison	61,244	66.35	+3.69
	Labor	Peter Scaysbrook	31,055	33.65	−3.69
	Liberal hold		Swing	+3.69

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2016 Australian federal election in New South Wales § Lindsay[edit]

2016 Australian federal election: Lindsay[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labor	Emma Husar	36,675	41.08	+2.05
	Liberal	Fiona Scott	35,081	39.30	−7.35
	Greens	Kingsley Liu	3,199	3.58	+0.52
	Christian Democrats	Warren Wormald	2,701	3.03	+0.24
		Marcus Cornish	2,128	2.38	+2.38
	Liberty Alliance	Stephen Roddick	2,110	2.36	+2.36
	Xenophon	Stephen Lynch	1,850	2.07	+2.07
	Family First	Linda La Brooy	1,513	1.69	+1.69
	Justice	Scott Grimley	1,497	1.68	+1.68
	Animal Justice	Deborah Blundell	1,454	1.63	+1.63
	Australia First	Jim Saleam	1,068	1.20	+0.50
Total formal votes			89,276	88.23	−3.56
Informal votes			11,913	11.77	+3.56
Turnout			101,189	92.22	−2.07
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Emma Husar	45,633	51.11	+4.10
	Liberal	Fiona Scott	43,643	48.89	−4.10
	Labor gain from Liberal		Swing	+4.10

This section is an excerpt from 2018 Longman by-election § Results[edit]

Longman by-election: 28 July 2018[21][22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labor	Susan Lamb	35,203	39.84	+4.45
	Liberal National	Trevor Ruthenberg	26,170	29.61	−9.40
	One Nation	Matthew Stephen	14,061	15.91	+6.50
	Greens	Gavin Behrens	4,264	4.83	+0.44
	Independent	Jackie Perkins	2,379	2.69	+2.69
	Liberal Democrats	Lloyd Russell	1,762	1.99	+1.99
	Country	Blair Verrier	1,387	1.57	+1.57
	Democratic Labour	Gregory Bell	1,043	1.18	+1.18
	Science	James Noonan	970	1.10	+1.10
	Australia First	Jim Saleam	709	0.80	+0.80
	People's Party	John Reece	420	0.48	+0.48
Total formal votes			88,368	93.93	+2.46
Informal votes			5,707	6.07	−2.46
Turnout			94,075	84.26	−7.42
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Susan Lamb	48,116	54.45	+3.66
	Liberal National	Trevor Ruthenberg	40,252	45.55	−3.66
	Labor hold		Swing	+3.66

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2019 Australian federal election in New South Wales § Lindsay[edit]

2019 Australian federal election: Lindsay[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Melissa McIntosh	45,247	46.45	+7.16
	Labor	Diane Beamer	34,690	35.61	−5.47
	Greens	Nick Best	4,781	4.91	+1.33
	United Australia	Christopher Buttel	2,831	2.91	+2.91
	Independent	Mark Tyndall	2,785	2.86	+2.86
	Conservative National	Brandon Lees	2,374	2.44	+2.44
	Christian Democrats	Mark Moody-Basedow	1,997	2.05	−0.98
	Australia First	Jim Saleam	1,372	1.41	+0.21
	Sustainable Australia	Geoff Brown	1,326	1.36	+1.36
Total formal votes			97,403	88.92	+0.69
Informal votes			12,135	11.08	−0.69
Turnout			109,538	92.26	+0.03
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Melissa McIntosh	53,614	55.04	+6.15
	Labor	Diane Beamer	43,789	44.96	−6.15
	Liberal gain from Labor		Swing	+6.15

state Parliament elections

This section is an excerpt from 2017 Cootamundra state by-election § Results[edit]

2017 Cootamundra state by-election [24][25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	National	Steph Cooke	21,093	46.2	−19.6
	Labor	Charlie Sheahan	10,930	24.0	−2.0
	Shooters, Fishers, Farmers	Matthew Stadtmiller	10,621	23.3	+23.3
	Christian Democrats	Philip Langfield	1,273	2.8	+0.5
	Greens	Jeffrey Passlow	1,238	2.7	−0.8
	Independent	Jim Saleam	453	1.0	+1.0
Total formal votes			45,608	97.7	+0.4
Informal votes			1,057	2.3	−0.4
Turnout			46,665	87.2	−4.7
Two-party-preferred result
	National	Steph Cooke	24,114	60.5	−10.0
	Labor	Charlie Sheahan	15,769	39.5	+10.0
	National hold		Swing	−10.0

See also

• Australia First Party
• Far-right politics in Australia
• National Socialist Party of Australia
• Reclaim Australia
• Romper Stomper
• True Blue Crew
• United Patriots Front

References

1. "Good Weekend and Dr James Saleam". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 August 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
2. Petrinic, Isabell (2 June 2016). "Lindsay: Scramble over minor and independent preferences". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
3. Fellner, Carrie. "Right wing extremist makes election bid in sleepy NSW 'cherry capital'". Sydeny Morning Herald. Nine. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
4. Several articles discuss Saleam's criminal convictions, contain photographs of Saleam wearing Nazi attire and describe Saleam as a neo-Nazi or former neo-Nazi:
   • Packham, Ben (17 July 2018). "Neo-Nazi vote scores a boost from GetUp!". The Australian. The Australian. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
   • Clift, Tom (12 July 2018). "One Nation Will Preference A Former Neo-Nazi Ahead of Labor in Upcoming Byelection". Junkee. Junkee. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
   • Greason, David (1994), I was a teenage fascist, pp.283,284,289, McPhee Gribble
   • West, Andrew (29 February 2004). "No Apology For White Australia Policy". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
   • For historic photos of Saleam in Nazi Attire:
   Petrinic, Isabell (2 June 2016). "Lindsay: Scramble over minor and independent preferences". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
5. West, Andrew (29 February 2004). "White separatist takes on Marrickville". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
6. Gibson, Jano; Frew, Wendy (12 January 2008). "No apology for white Australia policy". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
7. Crisp, Lyndall (4 April 1989). "Harvest of Hate". Australian Consolidated Press. The Bulletin. pp. 42–49. “Saleam was born [on September 18, 1955] in Maryborough, Queensland, of Lebanese migrant parents. He joined the Nazi Party (the National Socialist Party of Australia) in 1970. Two years later, aged 17, he was found guilty of fire-bombing a Maoist bookshop [East Wind] in Brisbane and put on a four-year good behavior bond"
8. Crisp, Lyndall (4 April 1989). "Harvest of Hate". Australian Consolidated Press. The Bulletin. pp. 42–49.
9. Moore, Andrew (1995). The Right Road?: A History of Right-Wing Politics in Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 121. ISBN 019553512X.
11. Saleam, James. The Other Radicalism: An Inquiry Into Contemporary Australian Extreme Right Ideology, Politics And Organization 1975–1995 (PhD). Fisher Library, University of Sydney. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
13. "Local Council Elections – Australia First Party in Ward One". Katoomba Leura Online. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
14. "Cook, NSW". Election 2013. Australian Electoral Commission. 1 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
15. Registration and deregistration details:
    • "Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated". Australian Electoral Commission. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
    • "Deregistered/renamed political parties". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
    • "Party Formation". Australia First Party. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
    • Jensen, Erik (9 July 2009). "Right-wing genie out of the bottle". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
    • AEC redirection page – Australian Electoral Commission
16. Electoral results:
    • Murray, Oliver (26 April 2016). "Far-right-wing parties after your vote on election day". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
    • Pollard, Krystyna (19 May 2016). "Controversial Saleam to stand for Australia First in Lindsay". Penrith City Gazette. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
    • 26, scheme=AGLSTERMS.AglsAgent; corporateName=Australian Electoral Commission; address=50 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra, ACT 2600; contact=13 23. "House of Representatives division information". Australian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
17. Grey, Lachlan (27 August 2017). "Australia First leader Jim Saleam to contest Cootamundra by-election in November". Cootamundra Herald. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
18. Right wing extremist makes election bid in sleepy NSW 'cherry capital'
19. 2013 results for Cook, AEC.
20. Lindsay, NSW, Virtual Tally Room 2016, Australian Electoral Commission.
21. "2018 Longman by-election results: AEC". Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
22. "2018 Longman by-election results: ABC". Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
23. Lindsay, NSW, Tally Room 2019, Australian Electoral Commission.
24. "First Preference Votes Report Parliamentary Election: Cootamundra". NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
25. "State Electoral District of Cootamundra: Distribution of Preferences". NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 19 October 2017.

External links

• Australian Nationalist Ideological, Historical and Legal Archive maintained by James Saleam
• Historic photo's of Saleam and other members of the National Socialist Party of Australia News article featuring several historic photographs of Saleam wearing Nazi attire including a swastika arm band.