Liberal MP Andrew Hastie claims he is “confident” he did not meet far-right ringleader Neil Erikson at a rally in support of white South African farmers in Perth last year, despite his colleague, Ian Goodenough, giving details of the encounter.
Goodenough, who holds the safe seat of Moore in Perth’s northern suburbs, told Guardian Australia on Tuesday that there was a “brief meeting” with Erikson after he approached the MPs at the rally at Forrest Chase in Perth last April.
“We were at a rally for the South African migrants and he came up and there was a conversation,” Goodenough told Guardian Australia.
“It was a very brief meeting from what I saw, two to three minutes.”
But Hastie, who earlier on Tuesday declined to say whether he had ever met Erikson, put out a statement following Goodenough’s remarks saying he did not believe the meeting took place.
“In Perth last year, I attended a rally – along with thousands of other West Australians – in support of South African farmers fleeing from the threat of violence,” Hastie said.
“I have never sought to nor agreed to meet with Mr Erikson. I’m confident that I did not encounter him on the day. I find his views abhorrent and his views should not be given a platform.”
Goodenough sought to clarify his comments, providing further details of the alleged encounter, but saying they “did not have a “meeting” in the normal sense of the word.”
“A guy whose identity we did not know at the time who was dressed like a rapper approached me from the crowd with followers carrying a video camera.”
“We had a brief encounter but did not discuss or agree to anything. As politicians it is usual for strangers to approach us. We did not have a “meeting” in the normal sense of the word.”
He said he later learned of Erikson’s identity.
Erikson espouses extreme rightwing views online, and has been banned from both Twitter and Facebook.
Hastie was asked at a press conference with the Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday if he had ever held “secret” meetings with Erikson, who is widely considered one of the figureheads of the far-right movement in Australia.
The MP for the safe seat of Canning said he would not answer “defamatory” questions.
Shadow attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus said Goodenough and Hastie had “serious questions to answer”.
“After the Liberal Party officially denied that Mr Goodenough and Mr Hastie met with a rightwing extremist and convicted criminal, it’s now been revealed they weren’t telling the truth,” Dreyfus said.
“The rise of rightwing extremism in this country is of serious concern, and instead of condemning it, the Liberals appear to be cosying up to it.”
“Only today Mr Hastie avoided a question about this at his press conference – he’s literally been running away from telling the truth.”
“It is now incumbent on Scott Morrison to enforce some standards in his party, and force Mr Hastie and Mr Goodenough to tell the whole truth about what they have been up to.”
Erikson and Cottrell were among three members of the United Patriots Front who were convicted of inciting contempt for Muslims after staging a mock beheading in protest at plans to build a mosque in Bendigo.
The three men were each fined $2,000.
Erikson was also among those who tackled the boy who cracked an egg on Fraser Anning’s head in protest at his far-right views at a press conference in March.
