Victorian state election 2018: Pauline Hanson to run One Nation candidates in November

PAULINE Hanson will target Victorian voters fed up with street crime, power prices and overpopulation when One Nation runs candidates at this year’s state election for the first time.

PAULINE Hanson will target Victorian voters fed up with street crime, power prices and overpopulation when One Nation runs candidates at this year’s state election for the first time.

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The party has registered to contest the November poll and the controversial Queensland senator is eyeing off several upper house seats, most likely in regional Victoria.

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But she said One Nation wanted to give voters “across the whole state” the option to reject the major parties in lower house seats too — if the right candidates could be found.

“We’re getting a lot of support out of Victoria now, that wasn’t the case 20 years ago,” Senator Hanson told the Herald Sun.

“(Voters) are looking for change, they’re not happy with the major political parties.”

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson. Picture: Lukas Coch/AAP

Asked what issues the party would campaign on, Senator Hanson said immigration was a key focus for One Nation in Victoria with “the gangs that are down there, the lack of control of your streets”.

“The migrants we’re bringing in is of a lot of concern,” she said.

“(Victorians) don’t want to live under these conditions, they’re losing their way of life and they’re in fear ... We won’t hide behind political correctness.”

Senator Hanson said she was concerned about sentencing in Victoria but did not nominate any particular proposals for change.

She also tied immigration to soaring population growth in Melbourne, which she said had not been managed properly.

“This is having a huge impact on the country and the cities can’t cope any more, it’s a strain on infrastructure, housing, hospitals, schools,” Senator Hanson said.

“Immigration is the key to everything.”

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says she is concerned about sentencing in Victoria. Picture: AAP/Lukas Coch

One Nation won just one seat at last year’s Queensland state election, falling well short of Senator Hanson’s suggestion that it could claim up to 10 seats.

The Victorian Electoral Commission is now assessing its bid to register here, which would allow it to run endorsed candidates in November, and receive public funding based on how many votes it receives.

Senator Hanson called for prospective candidates to contact the party and said there was a “greater opportunity” to win seats in the Legislative Council than in the lower house.

She said it was too soon to say how the party would direct its preferences but that voters “own their preferences” and could decide for themselves.

The Greens have already called on the Labor and Liberal parties to put One Nation last in their preferences if they run candidates in November.

Senator Hanson said the party was also preparing to run in Victoria at the next federal election, which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday would be during the first half of next year.

Twitter: @tminear