A failed federal Liberal candidate and anti-trans campaigner from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, a forklift driver, and a South Coast surf lifesaver are among One Nation candidates contesting the NSW state election in March.
One Nation NSW leader Mike Newman on Sunday announced four new upper house candidates for the state poll as he emphasised their “real-world experience” and said the group was “not a team of career politicians”.
“This is a team that reflects our membership ... They are not taxpayer-funded political careerists or cookie-cutter candidates,” Newman said.
The candidates are Sydney lawyer Katherine Deves, who is the former Liberal Party candidate for the federal seat of Wentworth; Arnon Wither from the Hunter region, who has worked in manufacturing, construction; educator and mother-of-eight Manti Steele from western NSW; and teacher and surf lifesaver Daniel Hill from the NSW South Coast.
The four will join Singleton cattle farmer and coal miner Stuart Bonds, who is the top upper house candidate for the party in NSW, and Tamworth firearms manufacturer Jeff Bacon.
Bonds stirred controversy when he told protesters at a rally against “mass migration” this month that Australians were “being demographically replaced inside our own nation” – remarks Premier Chris Minns described as “horrific”.
The line-up announced on Sunday does not include one-time NSW Coalition figures defectors including former federal Liberal senator Hollie Hughes, former NSW upper house Liberal MP Lou Amato, or ex-Wollondilly Liberal MP Nathaniel Smith. They could also run for a spot in the lower house.
One Nation is a growing threat to NSW Labor in the March 2027 state election. Minns has previously expressed his view that Newman will “either be the premier or the opposition leader” next year.
Recent Resolve polling shows 25 per cent of NSW voters intend to vote for One Nation in March.
However, last week’s Resolve Political Monitor survey revealed voters perceived Minns and Labor as superior to the Coalition or One Nation on managing hospitals and health services, the education system and housing.
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