Pauline Hanson has called on the Liberal Party to “get out of the gutter” and work with One Nation as voters head to the polls in Victoria’s Nepean by-election.
The One Nation leader said the contest on the Mornington Peninsula reflects growing frustration with major parties, with her candidate Darren Hercus pushing for a breakthrough in the lower house.
The by-election has become a three-way race between the Liberals’ candidate Anthony Marsh, One Nation’s Mr Hercus, and Independent Tracee Hutchison, after Labor opted not to contest the seat.
It comes months out from the state election and is being closely watched as a test of shifting voter sentiment.
Ms Hanson said her party had built strong momentum on the ground in recent weeks and claimed support was building.
But Ms Hanson accused the Liberal Party of running misleading campaign material in the final days.
“They put out some false advertising … to tell people that we intend to privatise the Rosebud Hospital, which is wrong,” she told Sky News host Caleb Bond.
“We are talking about a private-public partnership.”
She said voters were tired of political tactics and wanted a clearer focus on policy.
“This is what the people are fed up with,” she said.
“They’re sick and tired of the political parties telling lies … misleading information about policies.
“I wish they’d put this much time and effort into telling people what they’re going to do for the state.”
The Liberal Party is seeking to retain Nepean, a seat it previously held, but faces pressure from One Nation’s rising support in Victoria.
Polling in recent months has shown a shift towards minor parties, with One Nation recording gains across the state.
One Nation would secure 26 per cent of the primary vote in Victoria if a federal election were held today, according to Sky News’ April 7 Pulse poll, conducted by YouGov.
A six-point gain places the party ahead of Labor at 25 per cent and the Coalition at 21 per cent.
It means One Nation is the most popular party in two states after coming out ahead of Labor in Queensland in the March poll.
Ms Hanson said the by-election was about more than one seat and is going to show the state’s dissatisfaction with the Allan government.
“The people are screaming out for change. They want to get rid of the Jacinta Allan government because it has destroyed the whole state,” she said.
She said the Liberals needed to consider working with One Nation if they wanted to form government after the November election.
“They’ve got to start working with One Nation,” she said of the Liberal Party in Victoria.
Ms Hanson said her priority was to remove the current government and address issues she said were affecting Victorians.
“My aim is to get rid of that Labor government that has done so much damage to the state,” she said.
She pointed to concerns around crime, taxation, and public services.
“They’ve been hammered into the ground,” she said.
“You’ve got escalating crime, you don’t have enough police, you’ve police stations that have shut … then you’ve got escalated land taxes.”
“You’ve got the state that’s in debt for $190 billion. It’s really a real problem in Victoria,” she said.
Despite the push for cooperation, Hanson confirmed there had been no discussions with Liberal leadership about preferences or broader election strategy.
The outcome in Nepean could influence negotiations ahead of the state election, particularly if no party secures a clear majority.
But Ms Hanson said her party’s long-term goal was to hold balance of power and work with others to form government.
“If we get enough seats, then we can actually work with the Libs to give them government and kick out the Labor government down there,” she said.
Voters will head to the polls on Saturday, with the result expected to provide an early indication of how the state election may unfold later this year.