One Nation has revealed its agenda for the forthcoming Victorian state election, emphasizing a crackdown on crime while proposing cuts to significant projects and government entities.
The party intends to eliminate the planned Suburban Rail Loop and the Treaty, alongside increasing penalties for young offenders involved in violent crimes if they gain power.
The current government has dismissed One Nation’s campaign launch, asserting that it will not engage in any agreements with the party.
During the campaign kick-off held at Melbourne’s Crown Casino, One Nation Victoria leader Warren Pickering was accompanied by national leader Pauline Hanson and other candidates as they presented their policy framework.
Notably, the ABC was not permitted to attend the launch event, which was closed to their coverage.
In her address, Ms. Hanson criticized the incumbent Labor government for its handling of crime and the escalating state debt, claiming that Victorians have been treated poorly.
She also responded to comments from Premier Ben Carroll, who expressed concern over One Nation’s rising popularity in Victoria, stating, “If you’re listening, Ben, don’t be scared of me. I tell you what mate, he should be scared of you,” while gesturing to the audience.
Support for One Nation appears to be increasing in Victoria, with polls indicating that the party may pose a significant challenge to both Labor and the Coalition in the upcoming election.
The central focus of One Nation’s policy announcement was their commitment to law and order, which occupied numerous pages in a comprehensive 63-page policy document.
One Nation has vowed to invest heavily in law enforcement, including plans to recruit veterans from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to bolster police numbers through an expedited program.
“The policy that I’m most proud of, and probably the most important to Victoria, is our crime policy,” stated Mr. Pickering. “We’re proposing to utilize some of the estimated 10,000 suitably qualified contemporary veterans in this state to lean into the police force.”
The party aims to combat youth crime by imposing stricter penalties on violent young offenders, including lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 10 years, prosecuting young offenders of serious violent crimes as adults, and holding parents accountable for fines and damages caused by their children.
Additionally, One Nation has proposed the introduction of “carefully governed AI” to alleviate administrative tasks, enabling frontline officers to focus on their duties, while also offering sign-on bonuses and housing allowances.
One Nation’s proposed reforms extend to the judicial system, with plans to increase the number of magistrates, establish a 24-hour bail court, and construct three new magistrates’ courts in the outer suburbs of Melbourne to expedite legal proceedings.
The party also pledged to introduce self-defense laws akin to those in the UK and consider a “tightly controlled trial” allowing Victorians access to capsicum spray for personal protection.
To finance these initiatives, One Nation plans to implement a range of cuts to government projects, agencies, and services.
The Suburban Rail Loop project will be scrapped, with funds redirected to other infrastructure projects such as the Airport Rail line and electrifying the Melton line.
One Nation also intends to review state public entities and agencies, potentially leading to cuts in government jobs, and has announced plans to dismantle the First Peoples’ representative body Gellung Warl and discontinue the statewide Treaty.
The party aims to eliminate net-zero targets and subsidies, cancel transmission projects like VNI West and the Western Renewables Link, and lift the ban on gas connections in new homes. Furthermore, One Nation has expressed intentions to repeal the statewide prohibition on nuclear energy.
However, the party refrained from promising to abolish taxes, stating instead that they would reduce land tax increases and raise the threshold for payroll tax.
Ms. Hanson also criticized rival political parties during her speech, suggesting that Victorians have developed trust issues with the Liberal Party, implying that they have not fulfilled their responsibilities effectively.
When prompted about these remarks, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson declined to directly mention One Nation, instead asserting, “I know that Victorians are looking for a change of government this year, and the only way to do that is to elect a Liberal and Nationals government.”
Government minister Nick Staikos dismissed One Nation’s campaign launch, labeling it as “not a serious political party,” and emphasized that there would be no collaboration with them, claiming they are introducing undesirable elements of American politics to the state.
A small protest occurred outside the One Nation event, where approximately two dozen individuals displayed signs and banners denouncing the party as racist. Protester Julie Monteiro stated, “We’ve seen Hanson calling for an end to immigration, she says mass immigration is a problem and we think that’s absolutely scapegoating the problems.”
