A federal senator is furious after a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi allegedly conned him into taking a selfie while he performed a deplorable gesture.
Victorian senator Ralph Babet stood smiling and giving a thumbs-up next to Nathan Bull on Saturday, apparently oblivious to the man’s partial salute below shoulder height.
The ‘highly active NSN (National Socialist Network) member’ then posted the image to X with the caption ‘Heil Ralph Babet, Heil our people’.
The United Australia Party senator, 40, has since distanced himself from the prominent neo-Nazi, claiming he had no knowledge of who Mr Bull was or was aware of the illegal gesture being made out of sight.
Victorian Senator Ralph Babet (left) was furious after self-proclaimed neo-Nazi Nathan Bull (right) tricked him into taking a selfie while he held up a partial Nazi salute
Senator Babet has since labelled all extremists as ‘idiots’.
‘They can all go get stuffed,’ he told the Herald Sun.
‘The far left and the far right are all a bunch of losers.
‘I don’t know who he is. I don’t care who he is.’
‘He told the Age: ‘Hundreds of people per month ask for a photo with me everywhere I go.’
‘Are you Ralph Babet?’ ‘Yes I am.’ ‘Can I have a photo?’ ‘OK, yeah sure.’ That’s the extent of it. ‘See you later, bye.’ ‘
Senator Babet added that Victoria Police can investigate Mr Bull’s post ‘if they want to’.
Victoria Police confirmed that it would review the new image.
Mr Bull’s post remained online early Monday morning.
The Nazi salute was banned across Victoria in November after a number of self-proclaimed neo-Nazi’s performed the salute at rallies.
Anyone caught performing the in salute in public can face an up to $23,000 fine or a stint in jail as long as 12 months.
United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet has distanced himself from neo-Nazis after he being ‘tricked’ into being in a
An investigation by the White Rose Society, a group of anti-fascist researchers who identify those in neo-Nazi groups last year revealed Mr Bull is the son of a Victorian police officer.
His father shared an image of Mr Bull wearing a shirt with a Runic Storm (Ukrainian neo-Nazi merch store) T-shirt for his 21st birthday and said he was ‘proud of what you’re doing’.
Mr Bull was investigated by police for performing a Nazi salute while in public last year.
He also supported NSN’s self-appointed leader, Thomas Sewell, as he faced court for assaulting a security guard.
Born in Mauritius, Senator Babet was elected to represent Victoria in the federal senate at the 2022 election.
