Jennifer Game, former One Nation party leader in South Australia and policy adviser to Pauline Hanson for eight years, now states she was a “true believer” no longer. Game described the party not as a democratic organization with checks and balances, but “more like a small business.” This characterization emerges as multiple aspiring candidates detail a system designed to extract funds from those seeking political office.
Game ran as a One Nation Senate candidate in last year’s federal election. After her failure to win a seat, she received a critical text from James Ashby, Senator Hanson’s then-chief of staff, followed by an angry phone call from Hanson herself. Game recounted Hanson demanding loyalty while failing to reciprocate it. Following her departure from the party, One Nation initially refused to repay her $2,000 nomination deposit and over $14,000 in claimable expenses from the election. Her deposit was eventually returned after a debt recovery process. In June of the same year, a magistrate ordered One Nation to pay Game the more than $14,000 in electoral expenses she was owed.
Party as Private Enterprise
One Nation’s recent electoral successes, including a federal by-election victory in Farrer and multiple state seats in South Australia and Western Australia, have drawn attention to its internal processes. Experienced political candidates seeking to run for One Nation in the upcoming Victorian state election described the preselection process as slow, chaotic, and not merit-based. Six would-be candidates, including former mayors, local councillors, and an ex-MP, characterized it as a money-making exercise for the party.
Former Liberal National MP Aidan McLindon, who defeated Pauline Hanson in a Queensland state seat 17 years ago, called the process “very sloppy, ad hoc, probably pre-determined and dishonest.” McLindon, who was approached for a leadership role in Victoria, had his application rejected after a disagreement with Warren Pickering, who became state leader. He resigned from the party soon after. McLindon expressed concern that Victoria had been neglected and that One Nation treated candidate applications with contempt.
One Nation reported receiving 1,200 applications to run for office. Each applicant was charged $150 to apply, with an additional $5,500 fee levied if they were chosen to run. McLindon stated that candidates were not informed of the $5,500 fee until the end of the interview process. He labeled this an “insidious money grab,” particularly exploitative during a cost-of-living crisis. The fees from the lower house preselection process alone totaled approximately $700,000.
Exploiting Political Ambition
Michael Labrador, a Whittlesea councillor who won pre-selection but ultimately chose not to run, confirmed the process did not reward quality candidates. Labrador noted that those with political ambition, merit, experience, or community profiles were often excluded from winnable upper house seats. He found the $5,500 candidate fee, revealed at the end of his interview, particularly shocking. Labrador highlighted the difficulty this fee would pose for blue-collar workers and small business owners, despite the party’s “significant financial backing.” By early September of the same month, with less than 90 days until the November 28 poll, the party had announced only a third of its lower house candidates, making a genuine grassroots campaign difficult to build.
Adriana Buccianti, a former Trumpet of Patriots candidate, signed up for the One Nation preselection process in February of the same year. She never heard back after failing to make it to the interview stage, receiving no email or notification. Buccianti became so disillusioned that she quit the party.
In contrast, Michael Piastrino, the One Nation candidate for Berwick and a former Liberal candidate, expressed satisfaction with the process. He described the vetting as “fantastic” and “professionally” done. Piastrino, who runs an award-winning hairdressing salon, believed 12 to 14 weeks was ample time for a strong campaign if a candidate was known in the area. He cited a diverse group of candidates, including farmers, ready to “get the job done.”
The Cost of Entry
James Ashby, a One Nation powerbroker, was caught on a secret recording obtained by the ABC nine years ago, boasting about the party's potential to profit from a Queensland state election. He stated, “there is an opportunity for us to make some money on this if we play it smart.” Ashby later dismissed this as a “brainstorming session” that was never acted upon. McLindon, however, expressed concern that Ashby was not treating prospective candidates with the dignity and respect they deserved. He suggested Senator Hanson needed to scrutinize those around her to prevent the party’s demise. Repeated requests for interviews with Senator Hanson and Ashby went unanswered, and detailed questions sent to One Nation received no response.