Warragul leader for state One Nation

by Aidan Knight
A Warragul local has been selected leader for the Victorian branch of One Nation, strengthening the party's presence across the Gippsland region.
The party, which at a state level recently renamed from Pauline Hanson's One Nation to One Nation Victoria, will be led by Warren Pickering, the former state president and 2022 Senate candidate.
Mr Pickering, raised in Gippsland and currently residing in Warragul, will contest the lower house seat of Pakenham, currently held by a 0.4 per cent margin by Labor's Emma Vulin.
"We are officially putting the major parties on notice," Mr Pickering said during his selection announcement, which took place alongside a party fundraiser at the Tower Hotel, East Hawthorn, last Monday night. "We intend for this to be a November to remember and we are contesting to govern."
The event, which party founder and national leader Pauline Hanson attended, included a substantial police presence due to an outside protest against the party.
Mr Pickering was the second confirmed lower house candidate, changing previously circulated plans for him to run for the upper house Eastern Victorian region as the "leading candidate."
Baw Baw Shire West Ward Cr Ben Lucas announced he had joined the party in October 2025 but has not yet announced what electorate he may stand in.
On social media last week, Mr Lucas said beyond the chaotic entrance to the hotel, the event was one of "warmth, togetherness, and optimism in the room."
Both Mr Lucas and Mr Pickering are former military men, who ceased membership with the Liberal Party to join One Nation.
"Warren has done a great job as state president of One Nation in Victoria," federal leader Senator Pauline Hanson said of the Warragul man after appointing him state leader on the night. "I have every confidence he will be an effective leader of the team we're taking to the Victorian election."
In Latrobe, former local primary school teacher and Gippsland radio personality Greg Hansford was confirmed as One Nation's upper house candidate for the Eastern region. Mr Hansford previously ran for the Freedom Party of Victoria for the upper house during the 2022 election, before contesting the federal seat of Gippsland under One Nation, in May last year where he obtained 30 per cent of the vote.
"I ran with One Nation from the start - May 2022. I couldn't really explain why, but I ended up running for the Freedom Party (instead) by that November", he said, before returning to his original party loyalty.
"There's a bit of a change in their (party) strategy. I would like being in the upper house, because it means I'll be able to go around to all the lower house candidates - with this being my fourth election, reasonably experienced in all the protocols - so I can go around and help candidates and run the whole (party) campaign at the same time", Mr Hansford said.
Mr Pickering also tried his hand at state election in 2022, and as a Senate candidate in 2025 - on both occasions for One Nation).
Mr Pickering's elevation to leadership came amid scrutiny over past public statements. He has previously drawn criticism for promoting theories regarding '15-minute cities,' a concept he suggested was a precursor to digital tracking and movement restrictions - claims that urban planners and independent fact-checkers had repeatedly identified as without evidence.
He confirmed with media outlets over the weekend that his personal theories would not have any bearing on the formulation of his campaign for the seat of Pakenham, or the state campaign for One Nation Victoria.
The One Nation Gippsland branch was established in January of this year and has reported huge growth.
"Membership numbers have gone up by 400 per cent", Mr Hansford told the Gazette.
While the Victorian branch's policies are set to be formalised for the election this month, Mr Hansford has issues he's particularly enthusiastic to prioritise. "The timber industry in Noojee needs to run again," he said.
As One Nation ramps up its campaign across Gippsland, the appointment of Warren Pickering marked a significant step in the party's Victorian election strategy. With candidates still being finalised, policy announcements due in the coming weeks, and a closely contested political landscape ahead, voters will ultimately determine the party's impact at November's state election.