{
  "id": 66650,
  "title": "One Nation unveils eight Victorian election candidates including former Liberal and anti-woke film animator",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/one-nation-unveils-eight-victorian-election-candidates-including",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-03T01:53:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian",
    "slug": "the-guardian",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/03/one-nation-candidates-victoria-state-election-2026-ntwnfb"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "One Nation, a political party led by Pauline Hanson, unveiled its eight Victorian election candidates on Monday, including a former Liberal party candidate and a councillor with claims of working on former premier Daniel Andrews' security team. The press conference announcing the candidates took place, but media outlets such as the ABC, Age, and Guardian were not granted access, citing Hanson's refusal to permit coverage during her events. Hanson criticized the ABC and Guardian for their \"spin\" and accused them of treating her differently compared to other political parties, adding that she would no longer grant them access.\n\nWarren Pickering, One Nation's Victorian president, will lead the party's campaign and contest the eastern Victoria region. Pickering previously ran One Nation's campaign in the 2022 election and has also contested a Victorian Senate seat for the party. Colleen Harkin, a former Liberal party member, is set to contest the South-Eastern Metropolitan region. Harkin, who directed education at the conservative think tank Institute of Public Affairs, previously led a Supreme Court challenge against the Liberals over former MP John Pesutto's $1.55m loan.\n\nMark Nicholson, co-founder of animation house Stepmates Studios, will stand in the northern metropolitan region. Nicholson is known for Hanson's cartoon web series Please Explain and her anti-woke movie. Geelong councillor and former police officer Chris Burson, who claims to have worked with Andrews' personal protection team, will contest western Victoria. Burson also served in the Australian Defence Force and ran unsuccessfully for the Angry Victorians Party and Australian Values Party in 2022.\n\nOne Nation's current MP, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, will seek re-election in Northern Victoria. The party will field candidates in every seat at the election, according to Hanson, who stated the party's intention to restore Victoria and remove the Liberal opposition.",
  "summary": "Local councillor who says he used to work on Daniel Andrews’ security team also part of upper house lineup for November’s state poll A former Liberal party candidate, the animator behind Pauline Hanson’s anti-woke film and a local councillor who says he worked on former premier Daniel Andrews’ personal protection team have been unveiled as One Nation candidates for the Victorian election. Pauline…",
  "key_points": [
    "Warren Pickering leads party's campaign in eastern Victoria region",
    "Colleen Harkin, ex-Liberal, contests South-Eastern Metropolitan region"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "One Nation reveals Victorian state leader ahead of November election",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/one-nation-reveals-victorian-state-leader-ahead-of-november-election",
        "published": "2026-08-03T02:25:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Spotify unveils Wizkid & Olamide’s exclusive Afro Nation Portugal performances",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/spotify-unveils-wizkid-olamides-exclusive-afro-nation-portugal",
        "published": "2026-08-04T16:13:24.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}