Hanson pledges to work with Coalition in Victoria as protesters target moved fundraiser

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has promised to work with a future Coalition government in Victoria at a glitzy fundraising event in Melbourne’s south, swapping venues at the eleventh hour as anti-racism protesters chased the party across town to rally outside.

Some demonstrators who had planned to rally outside the far-right party’s original venue in Melbourne’s north were thrown off by the last-minute venue change, but others poured into cars to head south as news started to filter out about the new location.

Victoria Police confirmed that Giorgio Casa, the Italian restaurant in Moonee Ponds that was to host the cocktail party on Friday night, cancelled the event just hours before doors were due to open, though police said they were not aware of any threats made against the venue.

Outside the event, as an early protester chanted “Nazi scum off our streets”, Hanson took aim at Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, whose leadership has been threatened by recent anonymous rumours of a potential challenge.

“Look, the people will have their say at the next election,” Hanson said. “She’ll be judged on her performance as premier for the state. But ... She’s going to struggle to even keep her seat, hold her seat, and I’ve heard rumours that they will oust her before the election.”

Hanson denied protesters had prompted the change of venue. “We had too many bookings, people wanting to come,” she told reporters outside.

“So that’s why we had to change location. Do you think I’d be deterred by the protesters?”

But at her side, One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce decried the protests and need for such a strong police presence. “I mean, I thought we’ve arrived at Melbourne, not Pyongyang,” he said. “This is political debate. People are allowed to have it. We’re a free nation, and, you know.”

While Hanson and Joyce were quickly whisked inside, a line of men in suits and women in their cocktail finest were forced to wait outside the venue as more anti-racism protesters poured in from Moonee Ponds. Fundraiser tickets cost between $200 and $500, and $2000 for a meet and greet with Hanson and Joyce.

Protesters outside held anti-Hanson banners and chanted: “No racists, no fear, Hanson is not welcome here.”

“I wonder when they’ll open the bar,” laughed one guest. Cheers erupted from attendees waiting outside as a “Fire the Liar” bus taking aim at the Labor Party rolled by, tooting its horn.

Spotted inside the glitzy event were some of One Nation’s staunchest supporters, including Lee Hanson, Pauline’s daughter, Adam Giles, the CEO of Hancock Agriculture and former chief minister of the Northern Territory, and Mark Nicholson, the creator of the Please Explain cartoons.

Other guests included comedian Elliot Loney, Hanson’s chief of staff James Ashby, prolific buyer of houses on The Block Danny Wallis, Hancock Prospecting media advisor James Radford, and Rikki-Lee Tyrrell, One Nation’s sole seat holder in the Victorian parliament.

Adoring fans queued for selfies with Hanson, who received a rock star welcome from those who had paid hundreds – and in some cases thousands of dollars – to see her.

She told the crowd she would work with the Coalition, if One Nation secures enough seats in the upcoming Victorian state election.

“I’m going to give you the opportunity to vote for someone other than the two major parties,” she said. “But I will work with a Coalition government because who needs to go is the toxic Labor government.

“There’s this underground movement that’s happening. People say, ‘We have enough. We’ve had a gutful’,” Hanson said. “We want change. And people constantly come up and say to me, ‘Pauline, you are our last hope. Pauline, we want you to try and give us that future that we’re crying out for.’

“And if it’s in my power, and I will give you my honest truth of what I will do for you, I want grassroots Australians to represent you. I want you to be able to trust your representatives.”

One Nation has received almost 1200 expressions of interest from people ages 19-94 who want to stand for the party in the upcoming Victorian state election.

“All I see in this state, what’s happened, is the corruption, the gangs on the streets, the crime that’s happening, the break-ins, the carjacking. There’s no respect for authority and then our court system does nothing about it. You’ve got a waste of taxpayers dollars here.”

The event will cap off a fundraising blitz for One Nation, and follows earlier protests outside other One Nation fundraisers in Perth.

Groups such as No Room for Racism, the Victorian Socialists, and Free Palestine Melbourne had planned to gather near the original fundraiser venue “to drive Hanson out”. Online, some far-right figures had spoken of sending their own groups to defend the event.

A late gatecrasher did manage to make it to the new location. Protesters beating drums and chanting as the event got into full swing suddenly swarmed three neo-Nazis arriving outside the venue.

When asked by this masthead why he had arrived, neo-Nazi Michael “Mickle” Nelson said: “I’m here supporting One Nation, yes. Australia for the White Man!”

Nelson and two other members of the now outlawed National Socialist Network were quickly rounded up and marched away by police as protesters rushed at them, screaming for officers to arrest the “Nazi scum”.

Nelson later reappeared, right near the venue entrance as guests were leaving, but was quickly handcuffed and marched away by police. Police at the scene would not say why he was arrested, but Victoria Police has been contacted for comment.

By then, Hanson herself had made a discreet backdoor exit, avoiding the loud protest outside.

The fundraiser was billed as an “exclusive evening ... and networking event” with One Nation’s senior leadership, bringing together “business leaders, community figures and supporters seeking a stronger direction for Victoria”. It was organised by Virginia Gibson and her son Ben, with George Mirabella. Gibson is the granddaughter of former prime minister Joseph Lyons.

Joyce told a radio station earlier in the day his party members wanted to be able to walk the streets “unmolested” by the left, who he accused of trying to infringe on the parliamentarians’ rights.

“This is the home of AFL and seminal to that is our right and our freedom to have our political discussion. And if we haven’t got that, we’re losing what Australia is,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. If Carlton supporters can walk around with Collingwood supporters and both go to a pub and have a talk to Essendon supporters, then why can’t we have a political event in Melbourne?”

Moonee Valley City Mayor Rose Iser said she was glad the event did not go ahead in Moonee Ponds. “Moonee Valley has welcomed generations of immigrants from the horrors of wars in Europe, Asia and Africa to give their kids and grandkids a peaceful Australian way of life,” she said.

“I welcome the business owners seeing sense and that this particular brand of hate and division is not welcome in Moonee Ponds or Moonee Valley.”

Melbourne has a particular history of protesting against One Nation. Tens of thousands of people flooded Treasury Gardens in 1996 when Hanson was first elected to federal parliament, to stand against the Queensland senator’s anti-immigration rhetoric – including her infamous declaration that Australia was being “swamped by Asians”.

When Hanson formally launched the One Nation party at Dandenong Town Hall in 1997, protests outside the venue turned violent, as demonstrators hurled rotten fruit and bottles at party supporters and clashed with police.

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