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Why Albanese speaking to the ‘good people’ of the far right is his only option

Waleed Aly Columnist, author and academic September 5, 2025 — 5.00am

“I don’t care for these new Nazis. And you may quote me on that.” – John Mulaney

The genius of this line, from John Mulaney’s best comedy special, lies in the faux bravery of its delivery; this sense that he thinks he’s out on a limb, being political, taking a stand. Condemning Nazis is easy as long as their numbers and influence remain a rounding error on the sum of political life. Perhaps that’s one reason politicians love to do it.

We’ve seen lots of this in the aftermath of last weekend’s anti-immigration protests from politicians across the spectrum. The neo-Nazi presence was al

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