One Nation has officially launched its campaign for November’s Victorian state election by appointing Warren Pickering as the party’s Victorian leader and unveiling its first group of candidates, but the announcement was overshadowed by a dispute over media access after federal leader Pauline Hanson barred several major news organisations from attending the event.

The Melbourne press conference introduced Pickering and a slate of upper house candidates as One Nation seeks to expand its presence in Victoria, where the party believes dissatisfaction with the major parties has created an opportunity ahead of the November election.

Before the event began, however, journalists representing the ABC, The Guardian and The Age were denied entry by One Nation staff after identifying their media organisations.

Senator Hanson defended the decision, saying she no longer intended to provide access to outlets she believed had consistently misrepresented her party.

“I am not putting up with their rubbish, I am not putting up with their spin, their lies whatsoever,” Hanson said.

“I want truth and honesty. You get it from me, and I expect it from the media.”

Hanson also argued that the move was not unprecedented, noting she had previously refused access to some media organisations during the 1990s because of what she considered unfair coverage.

When asked whether excluding media outlets was inconsistent with democratic accountability, Hanson rejected that suggestion and maintained that her party remained willing to engage with journalists who reported fairly.

“You give me a fair go, I’ll give you a fair go back. The ABC never does,” she said.

New Victorian leader Warren Pickering also defended the party’s approach, saying One Nation welcomed robust scrutiny of its policies and candidates but would not tolerate reporting that it believed contained false or defamatory claims.

He said candidates would continue engaging with the media while reserving the right to respond legally if they believed inaccurate reporting damaged their reputations.

“We expect, invite and welcome a healthy level of scrutiny of our candidates and policy positions,” Pickering said.

“However, any blatant character assassination of our candidates based on falsehoods will be met with swift legal action.”

The launch marked an important milestone for One Nation’s Victorian campaign, with Pickering becoming the party’s public face in the state ahead of the election.

A former soldier and current state president of One Nation Victoria, Pickering previously attracted attention after leaving his job during the COVID-19 pandemic over workplace vaccination requirements.

Senator Hanson described him as an effective leader capable of building the party’s Victorian organisation and expanding its electoral support.

The party also announced a number of prominent candidates who will contest seats across Victoria.

Among them is Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, who became One Nation’s first elected Victorian MP after winning a Legislative Council seat in 2022 and is now seeking re-election.

Former Liberal Party member Colleen Harkin was also unveiled as a candidate after leaving the Liberals earlier this year.

The remaining candidates announced included lawyer Aaron Sandford, company director and animator Mark Nicholson, office manager Natalie Adams, Geelong councillor Chris Burson and human resources manager Fiona Lopez.

Hanson indicated additional lower house candidates would be announced over coming weeks, with the party intending to contest every seat across Victoria.

“We’ll be running candidates in every seat at this election,” Hanson said.

She argued the party offered an alternative to what she described as both a “tired and toxic” Labor government and an ineffective Liberal opposition.

According to Hanson, Victoria faces growing challenges including violent crime, housing affordability pressures, government debt and declining public confidence in state institutions.

She said One Nation would campaign on policies designed to restore community safety, improve government accountability and place Victorian interests first.

“Victorians are crying out for change, and for leadership which puts their interests first,” Hanson said.

Although detailed policy announcements were deferred, Hanson and Pickering outlined several broad priorities that will shape the campaign.

Crime, corruption, education reform and support for regional Victoria featured prominently during the launch.

Pickering said further policy announcements would follow later this month after One Nation’s planned “Farmer Fight Back” event, where the party intends to unveil more detailed proposals ahead of the election campaign.

Education was identified as another major campaign issue.

Hanson criticised what she described as increasing ideological influence within Victorian schools and argued educational standards had deteriorated in recent years.

She said One Nation intended to campaign for curriculum reform and a stronger focus on academic outcomes.

The party also reiterated support for stronger law-and-order measures and greater scrutiny of major government infrastructure projects, including calls for a royal commission into aspects of Victoria’s Big Build program.

The launch came amid renewed discussion about One Nation’s electoral prospects.

Recent national polling has suggested the party’s support has strengthened compared with earlier this year, although Victorian polling indicates the Liberal-National Coalition remains ahead of Labor on primary vote while One Nation continues to trail both major parties in statewide support.

The decision to exclude several media organisations quickly became a political issue in its own right.

Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth criticised the move, arguing that political leaders should be prepared to answer questions from all accredited media organisations rather than selecting which journalists may attend their events.

She said democratic accountability depends on politicians facing public scrutiny, including from media organisations that may ask difficult questions.

The ABC declined to comment publicly after its reporters were denied entry.

The Guardian subsequently reported that neither it nor the ABC had been informed of the venue details for the candidate announcement before learning they had been excluded from attending.

Supporters of One Nation defended the decision, arguing political parties organising private campaign events are entitled to determine media access and claiming certain outlets have consistently portrayed the party unfairly.

Critics, however, argued that excluding established news organisations limits opportunities for public scrutiny, particularly during an election campaign.

The debate has added another layer of attention to One Nation’s Victorian campaign as the party attempts to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional support base.

With four months remaining before Victorians head to the polls, One Nation says additional candidates and detailed policy announcements will follow in the coming weeks as it seeks to increase its representation in the state Parliament.