In June 2014 a very distinguished scholar was publicly wondering: “Is the Abbott government Fascist?” He felt justified in asking the question by the observation that “Since the last Federal election, people have been shocked at where Australia seems to be heading. So where is Australia heading? Towards fascism? There are straws in the wind.”

He is in excellent and learned company. L. W. Britt’s fourteen defining characteristics of Fascism have been re-examined by A. Broinowski, G. Hassan, U. Eco, P. Cannon, and others.

They agree on identifying the basic characteristics in Australia: nationalism, disdain for human rights, scapegoating as a means of unifying, supremacy of the military, sexism, controlled mass media, obsession with national security, religion and government intertwined, protection of corporate interests, suppression of labour power, disdain for intellectuals and the arts, obsession with crime and punishment, rampant cronyism and corruption, fraudulent elections – and those categories accompanied by pathological lying.

They are all there, the experience of one year of Abbott government.

Arise Scott Morrison, Lord Sixwords of Cronulla!