The ghoulish spectacle of neo-Nazis parading outside NSW parliament has led to calls for tighter laws to block the group from registering as a political party.

The National Socialist Network , which was behind the rally, has designs on registering its political arm White Australia at the federal level, followed by the states and territories. But experts say the group is free to contest elections even without registration.

What the laws say

How do the existing laws work, and is banning a party’s registration workable and desirable?

Under NSW electoral laws , a party needs at least 750 members and a written constitution to be eligible for registration, and it must not have an “obscene or offensive” name or logo.

“It’s pretty clear that a swastika would be offensive,” said University

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