Warren Pickering Named One Nation Victorian Leader for November Election

One Nation has named Warren Pickering, 43, as its Victorian state leader and candidate for the lower house seat of Pakenham ahead of the November 2026 election. Pickering, an army veteran and state president of One Nation in Victoria, told reporters the party intends to govern in its own right, not as part of a coalition. The announcement drew approximately 200 protesters to a One Nation fundraiser in Hawthorn East on Monday night.

Who is Warren Pickering and what is his target seat

Warren Pickering is an army veteran and the state president of One Nation in Victoria. He will contest the lower house seat of Pakenham, a Labor electorate held by backbencher Emma Vulin on a margin of just 0.4%. Vulin is not recontesting. At the 2022 election, One Nation received 3.4% of the primary vote in Pakenham, which covers outer eastern and south eastern suburbs of Melbourne and some rural areas.

One Nation’s ambitions for Victoria

At a media event on August 3, Pickering said One Nation intended to govern in Victoria and called it “the biggest state campaign in the party’s history.” He described Victoria as “the most fiscally and morally bankrupt state in Australian history.” Pickering clarified that One Nation does not intend to share government as part of a coalition with the Liberals. “We don’t see it. We can win in our own right,” he said.

Hanson bans ABC and Guardian from press conferences

Pauline Hanson announced she will ban the ABC and the Guardian from her press conferences during the Victorian campaign. Reporters from the ABC, the Age, and the Guardian were refused entry to the August 3 press conference where Hanson announced seven of eight upper house candidates. When asked about media access in a democracy, Hanson replied: “Democracy doesn’t happen on the ABC at all.” She said she had previously denied ABC journalists access to her events for “eight months” in 1996. Pickering said the party expects scrutiny of candidates and policies, but Hanson stated she prefers outlets like Rebel News Australia.

Protests and police response at fundraiser

Approximately 200 protesters gathered outside the Tower Hotel in Hawthorn East on Monday night as One Nation held its fundraiser. Police in riot gear monitored the demonstration, with Burwood Road and Camberwell Road closed for about 500 metres in both directions. Protesters chanted “Nazi scum off our streets” and held banners reading “Unite to fight the right” and “Campaign against racism and fascism.” Victoria Police reported no arrests and said “police were pleased with behaviour at the protest.”

Final Thoughts

Pickering’s appointment marks One Nation’s most serious push into Victoria, a state historically hostile to the party. With the November election looming and One Nation riding momentum from its May 2026 Farrer byelection win, the party’s Victorian campaign will test whether it can expand beyond protest votes into government.

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