One Nation hits Victorian hopefuls with $5,500 candidate fee

By Margaret Hale · 2026-09-27

The fee at the end of the interview

One Nation told aspiring Victorian candidates at the end of their preselection interviews that a $5,500 fee would apply if they were selected, on top of a $150 non-refundable application fee already paid.

The announcement came after a 15-minute Zoom interview. A three-person panel included state president Warren Pickering.

The party had already collected the $150 fee from each of the 1,200 people who applied.^[1] About 160 of those 1,200 applicants made it through to the interview stage.^[1] Only those 160 learned the full price of selection after completing the formal panel process.

What critics are saying

Aidan McLindon is a former LNP MP who assessed the process. "What we're seeing here is a bit of an insidious money grab," McLindon said. "'Oh, by the way, we've got all your hopes up, but before you sign the dotted line, here's a $5,500 [fee].'"^[1]

Michael Labrador is a former Whittlesea councillor. He won preselection and then walked away from it. The undisclosed fee was the reason. Labrador said One Nation espoused meritocracy but the process was not meritocratic at all.^[1]

The structural criticism from both men focuses on the sequencing. One Nation placed the financial commitment at the end of the process. This happened after the candidate had already cleared a formal hurdle.

How One Nation compares

Labor charges no candidate fee at all. The Liberal Party applies fees of up to $5,000. It discloses them at the time of application. This happens before a candidate commits time to an interview process. One Nation surfaces its largest charge last.

One Nation described the $5,500 charge as cost recovery for police checks and other background verification required of candidates.^[1] That explanation does not address why the figure was withheld until after the interview. It was not included in the initial application materials alongside the $150 fee.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation is entitled to $87,430.44 in advance public funding for the 2026 Victorian state election. A first instalment of $34,972.18 is already scheduled.^[2] Under Part 12 of the Electoral Act 2002, all public funding payments must be deposited into a dedicated state campaign account.^[3] The party has not said publicly whether candidate fees go into that account.

The Victorian state election takes place on Saturday, 28 November 2026.

Margaret Hale

Margaret Hale writes about politics, policy and the culture of business. She is drawn to the people behind decisions and to the moments when a political story turns out to be a human one.