A Victorian Labor MP has run to the media and accused a local builder and patriotic activist of being a neo-Nazi after he tried to ask her questions about crime and demographics at a community event.
Matt Trihey, the founder and leader of nationalist community group the National Workers Alliance (NWA), approached Lauren Kathage, the state member for Yan Yean in Melbourne’s north-east at the Whittlesea Show on Sunday.
Video of the interaction shows Mr Trihey, who was accompanied by three other NWA members, politely trying to speak to Ms Kathage while she repeatedly says “move along please” and “keep moving please”.
Debate is beyond them, so they defame https://t.co/iJ4vE07jVy
— National Workers Alliance (@_workers) November 9, 2026
At one point he told her that “liberal democracy is destroying this country”.
“It is broken and it will be replaced by something that actually represents the founding stock of this country,” he said.
Ms Kathage then labelled Mr Trihey a “neo-Nazi” in comments to the Herald Sun, claimed the group were “dressed and acting in a way that is designed to intimidate” and that her “hands were shaking”, and said “I won’t let neo-Nazis push me around”.
Mr Trihey responded to the MP in a video shared on social media on Monday night titled “Debate is beyond them, so they defame”, describing her comments as defamatory, and saying he will be taking legal action to make her retract the statement, and get the article taken down.
“Yesterday myself and three colleagues attended the Whittlesea Show, two One Nation candidates and one Liberal candidate were asked some questions, and although these gentlemen disagreed with my worldview, the conversations were polite and respectful,” he said.
“Unfortunately, Ms Kathage would not acknowledge, let alone answer, questions from the working class. It seems that if you have a love of your people and you want to preserve your culture, your heritage, your identity, and provide a future for your children, then in the current political climate you are regarded as hateful.
“The National Workers Alliance are a nationalist organisation who proudly advocate for the working class and for people of European descent, just as every other ethnic and racial group has the right to advocate for themselves.
“It is very important that the political class recognise, represent, and respect the White working class and White families.”
The video then cuts to Mr Trihey, dressed in a collared NWA-branded shirt, approaching Ms Kathage and saying “how you going?” before she immediately tells him to keep moving.
“Isn’t that what this so-called democracy is about, discussion, debate, contest of ideas, isn’t that what politics is?” he asks her at one point, to which the MP replies “off you go”.
Mr Trihey and other members of the NWA have previously turned up at events hosted by MPs from both major parties, and regularly holds protests in Melbourne about the city’s immigrant crime crisis and mass immigration.
Header image: Left, right, Mr Trihey and Ms Kathage during the interaction (NWA).
