One Nation Candidates Say They Fund Own Victoria Campaigns
Six One Nation candidates and campaigners in Victoria say the party has not paid for their campaign material ahead of the November 28 state election. They say they covered costs from a $5,500 contribution, and some question the party's strategy.
One Nation candidates in several winnable Victorian seats say they are paying for their own campaigns ahead of the state election on November 28. Six candidates and campaigners, who are not authorised to speak publicly, said the party has put none of its own money into their material.
They said pamphlets, corflutes (printed plastic signs) and roadside banners were paid for entirely from the $5,500 contribution each candidate must make after preselection. That money will be reimbursed only if the candidate wins at least 4% of first preference votes, which unlocks public funding for the party.
Two candidates said they were first told their campaigns would receive a share of revenue from One Nation merchandise their teams sold. They said that arrangement changed in recent weeks, and all proceeds now go to the party.
Concern inside the party
The approach has worried some One Nation members in Victoria, particularly those with experience in other parties. A former Liberal campaigner now volunteering for One Nation in Melbourne's outer suburbs asked for anonymity to speak without the party's approval.
"In key seats, the Liberal party would be spending $100,000, if not more," the campaigner said. "One Nation is asking its candidates to front up the cash and then submit an expense claim after the election."
The campaigner said the party could be entitled to more than $7m in public funding after the election if current polling translated into votes. "Why aren't they spending the money?" they asked.
Michael Piastrino, the candidate in the marginal seat of Berwick, raised extra money from donors for additional material. "If you can't raise a couple of thousand dollars then don't run as a candidate," he said. He did not criticise the party and said support for One Nation was already strong across the state.
Digital advertising gap
Analysis by the marketing agency Populares shows One Nation has spent $21,300 on Meta advertising in Victoria since September 1. Labor has spent $2.81m and the Liberals just under $550,000.
Populares chief executive Ed Coper said One Nation benefits from its organic content being favored by the algorithm. "But their candidates must be feeling left high and dry by the party when they see the advertising support their opponents receive," he said.
Coper said Victorian Labor has spent as much as $80,000 on candidate-specific social media ads in some seats. One Nation, he said, has spent only a quarter of that on paid social media across its whole campaign.
During the federal election, One Nation asked candidates to sign an agreement setting out how they could claim campaign expenses if they reached a vote threshold. Some candidates were left out of pocket.
