An anti-Islam organisation has been deregistered, after it was found to be posing as an advocacy group for domestic violence victims.
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The Patriots Defence League of Australia (PDLA), which has chapters across the country, was registered as an incorporated association in Queensland in January 2014.
As Fairfax revealed in April, the PDLA claimed in its application to the Queensland Office of Fair Trading that its objective was "to raise awareness of womens and childrens [sic] rights and domestic violence against women and children".
But the league is better known for its virulent anti-Islam stance. It has described Muslim immigration as an "invasion", compared Muslims to cockroaches and rats, campaigns against Halal food, and has organised campaigns against mosques being built across the country including in the Victorian town of Bendigo.
The group was involved in the Reclaim Australia marches, and has chapters in major and regional cities across Australia. It's unclear how many members it has, but more than 14,000 people have "liked" the group on Facebook. League members and followers often make violent threats on social media.
Following inquiries by Fairfax Media, the Office of Fair Trading investigated the group's activities. It found that the league was "carrying on an operation which is beyond the scope of the objects of the incorporated association" and that cancelling the organisation's incorporated status was justified, "in the public interest".
One of the benefits of becoming incorporated as a not-for-profit is that it offers office bearers some legal and financial protection against legal action taken against the organisation. Without incorporation, those members could be personally liable to pay damages. Incorporation also gives associations to right to apply for private and public funding, claim tax advantages and to allow the association to enter into contracts.
The office said it had given the PDLA a month to respond to a notice to "show cause" as to why it should keep its incorporated status, but the PDLA had not responded.
PDLA president TJ O'Brien said he had not been told of the decision and would not comment until he had spoken with the Office of Fair Trading.
