Victorian One Nation leader Warren Pickering has rejected reports that a former partner, Jo Scott, made abuse allegations against him to police. The Australian newspaper reported that Mr Pickering had declined a police interview request. Speaking to reporters, he said he would not waste police resources on what he called a political hatchet job, and urged anyone with grievances to take them to police. Liberal leader Jess Wilson said the matter was for Mr Pickering, while Liberal MP Danny O'Brien said candidates for high office should cooperate with police.
Former Fraser Coast councillor James Hansen, 57, has been identified as the man found dead in floodwaters at Boompa, police say. He served on the Fraser Coast regional council from 2012 to 2024 and ran for One Nation in 2017. Mayor George Seymour called his death a great loss to the community. Police have begun an investigation and will prepare a report for the coroner. Separately, six campers were rescued from flood waters at Leyburn on the Southern Downs.
Mark Nicholson, co-founder of Stepmates Studios, has refused to apologise to Senator Jacqui Lambie over a One Nation cartoon that mocked her prolapsed vagina. The cartoon has been taken down. Nicholson, who is running for One Nation in Victoria's upper house, said public figures should expect parody and denied trivialising the condition. Senator Lambie said he was not fit for politics and criticised Pauline Hanson for not apologising personally. Nicholson also defended an AI-generated One Nation advertisement that critics say uses racial stereotypes.
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WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas told a state conference there is a pathway to victory in the 2029 state election. He said the party is not working in partnership with One Nation, though the two share a goal of removing Labor. Zempilas said his ambition is to govern in its own right with the Nationals, while not ruling anything out as circumstances change. The party faces a choice between leveraging rising support for One Nation or confronting it directly. Federal Liberal leader Angus Taylor also addressed the conference.
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has described planned student protests on Remembrance Day as disgraceful. Organisers from the High School Anti-Capitalists say the date is coincidental and the demonstrations will be peaceful. Joyce said the protests should not go ahead on November 11, a day for remembering Australians who died in war. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek urged the protests be moved to a Saturday. Veteran Heston Russell also urged students to show maturity and respect for the day.
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has played down a poll showing Labor trailing the coalition by 10 points on a two-party preferred basis. The Newspoll, published in The Australian, shows a 10 per cent swing against Labor since 2022. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt conceded the election will be tough, while Carroll said the only poll that matters is the vote on November 28. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said her team takes nothing for granted. Carroll also announced a pledge to hire 500 graduate nurses and midwives.
Independent MP Zali Steggall and Liberal MP Julian Leeser have accused Opposition Leader Angus Taylor of not reading the room in his speech about Helen Haines. Taylor said the alleged attack on Haines was unfathomable, and he disagreed with any link between parliamentary debate and violence. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Haines in parliament, calling her a fighter. Haines has been granted leave of absence until at least the end of the sitting year.
Victorians vote on Saturday, November 28, in a state election that could end Labor's 12 years in government. Opinion polls show Labor, One Nation and the Coalition each have about a quarter of first preference votes. The Coalition is the favourite on a two-party basis, but One Nation could hold the balance of power in a hung parliament. Enrolment closes at 8pm on Tuesday, November 3. Early voting opens on November 18, and postal vote applications open on November 4.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has ruled out working with One Nation, saying his government does not need coalitions or deals. In an ABC interview marking two years in power, he said youth crime remains the government's top focus. He also conceded more must be done on cost of living, which he described as the top concern for people. A pollster said the LNP would be returned if an election were held now, but warned that cost of living is a challenge. Former premier Campbell Newman said the government would need to negotiate with One Nation.
Voters in the Melbourne outer-east seat of Pakenham are turning to One Nation ahead of next month's Victorian state election. Frustration over cost of living, crime and infrastructure delays is driving the shift. Labor holds the seat by a margin of 0.39 per cent, and its sitting member will not recontest it. The latest DemosAU poll shows One Nation's primary support dropping two points to 20 per cent. Labor has warned that Victoria risks a minority government including One Nation.
One Nation national director James Ashby has not ruled out running for the federal seat of Capricornia in central Queensland. He said business and community members have asked him to run, and the party's Capricornia branch will make the final decision. The move follows the retirement of long-serving MP Michelle Landry, which opens the seat to a new contest. One Nation's national primary vote has risen, with a recent poll placing it just behind Labor and ahead of the Coalition.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan could seek a move to the House of Representatives after colleague Michelle Landry announced she will not recontest the Queensland seat of Capricornia. Pollster Kos Samaras said Canavan faces losing his Senate seat in 2028 if the One Nation polling surge continues. Canavan has said he would do whatever it takes to hold a seat, but did not rule out the move when asked. Landry criticised One Nation, saying most of her dealings with the party had not been pleasant. Coalition leader Angus Taylor praised Canavan as an extraordinary colleague.
NSW Parliament has amended legislation so One Nation can have its election promises costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office before the March 2027 election. Party leaders, including Pauline Hanson, can submit an unlimited number of policies for examination. Minor parties and eligible independent MPs can submit two each. The Parliamentary Budget Office will publish a budget impact statement on each party's policies before ballots open. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said voters deserve to know the financial impact of election promises. Dr Michael Warlters has been appointed Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Queensland MP Michelle Landry has announced she will retire from federal politics at the 2028 federal election. She has held the central Queensland seat of Capricornia since 2013. Nationals leader Matt Canavan, a senator, attended the announcement in Rockhampton but did not say whether he would seek preselection for the seat. Ms Landry said she would not nominate a successor, leaving that to the party. She also criticised One Nation, which could pose a serious challenge to the LNP in the seat.
Federal Nationals MP Michelle Landry is set to announce her retirement from politics on Friday, according to several LNP sources. Her office said she would make a significant announcement alongside Senator Matt Canavan. Canavan, the Nationals leader, is expected to nominate as the LNP candidate for the Queensland seat of Capricornia, which Landry has held since 2013. Canavan has said he would do whatever it takes to hold the seat as One Nation surges in the polls.
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Green Left has released episode 93 of its show, featuring David Shoebridge. The episode discusses defeating Labor as the path to beating One Nation. Green Left is funded by reader contributions and is asking supporters for donations. Supporters can choose a digital edition for $5 per month or a print edition for $10 per month, with one-time payment options also available.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has apologised for a cartoon that mocked independent senator Jacqui Lambie's health condition, and says the video will be changed. Hanson had earlier refused to back down, calling it satirical and telling Lambie to lighten up. She said on Tuesday the video was posted without her seeing it, and accepted responsibility because it bears her name. Lambie described the video as laughable mockery of women's reproductive health problems. Hanson said she could have more oversight of future cartoons before they go live.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says she has asked for a controversial cartoon video mocking Jacqui Lambie's health issues to be changed. The video, part of the Please Explain series, depicts the army veteran mentioning her prolapsed vagina and includes a crude sound effect. Hanson said she had not seen the video before it was posted. Earlier, she had told Lambie to lighten up. Hanson now accepts responsibility, as the videos bear her name. Lambie has said her health is not fair game.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has apologised for a cartoon posted to her social media channels that mocked Senator Jacqui Lambie over a serious health condition. Hanson had earlier told Lambie to lighten up, but on Tuesday she said the video was not tastefully done as it could have been. She said she had not seen the video before it was published and had asked its creator to change it. Hanson said the cartoon series bore her name and she would take responsibility for it.
