Pauline Hanson has formally launched One Nation’s campaign for Victoria’s state election, unveiling a team of candidates she says is ready to challenge what she described as a “tired and toxic” Labor government after more than a decade in office.

Speaking in Melbourne, the One Nation leader introduced eight candidates who will contest seats in the Legislative Council while outlining the party’s ambition to significantly expand its parliamentary presence at the November election.

Leading the campaign is Victorian One Nation president Warren Pickering, who Hanson said had earned the confidence of the party through years of organisational leadership and grassroots campaigning.

“Victoria deserves better,” Hanson said, arguing voters had grown increasingly frustrated with rising living costs, crime, government debt and declining confidence in public administration after years of Labor rule.

Among the most prominent names on the ticket is Chris Burson, a former Victoria Police officer who previously served on former Premier Daniel Andrews’ protective security detail during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burson, now a Geelong councillor and Army veteran, has spoken publicly about becoming disillusioned during the pandemic years, saying his experiences inside government security operations convinced him Victoria needed political change.

He will contest the Western Victoria Region and says his campaign will focus on crime, community safety, regional investment and government accountability.

Another high-profile recruit is Colleen Harkin, a former Liberal Party member who left the Liberals following internal disputes surrounding former MP Moira Deeming.

Harkin says her political principles have remained consistent but believes One Nation now better reflects the values she wants to represent.

Her move has attracted considerable attention because it continues a broader trend of conservative activists and former Liberal members joining One Nation as the party seeks to expand its support base.

Also joining the Victorian ticket is political cartoonist and animator Mark Nicholson, creator of the Please Explain cartoon series and co-founder of Stepmates Studios.

Nicholson has built a substantial online audience through political satire and says he hopes to bring greater government transparency and accountability to Parliament.

He will contest the Northern Metropolitan Region.

Incumbent Northern Victoria MP Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell will seek another term after becoming One Nation’s first Victorian member of Parliament in decades.

During her first term she has focused on regional communities, agriculture, cost-of-living pressures and government oversight, and will again contest the Northern Victoria Region.

The remaining candidates announced include Natalie Adams for North-Eastern Metropolitan, Fiona Lopez for Western Metropolitan and criminal lawyer Aaron Sandford for Southern Metropolitan, with the party indicating further announcements will follow as the campaign progresses.

During the launch, Hanson directed much of her criticism at Victoria’s Labor government, arguing the state had experienced years of declining public confidence.

She accused Labor of failing to address cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability, crime and infrastructure spending while describing the government as “tired and toxic” after more than a decade in office.

The One Nation leader argued many Victorians now felt disconnected from both major parties and were looking for an alternative political voice.

Although detailed policy announcements were limited, Hanson outlined several areas the party intends to emphasise during the election campaign.

These include tackling violent crime, reviewing major infrastructure spending, supporting regional communities, reducing government waste, reforming education and addressing what One Nation describes as ideological influence within schools.

Party officials indicated more comprehensive policy releases will occur throughout the campaign.

Warren Pickering said Victorians were increasingly frustrated by what he described as ineffective government and growing financial pressures on families and businesses.

He pledged that One Nation would campaign across metropolitan and regional Victoria with practical proposals rather than political slogans, promising what he called “a November to remember” for voters seeking change.

The campaign launch comes during a period of organisational expansion for One Nation.

Earlier this week, Pauline Hanson appointed former Morrison government adviser Chris Taylor as her chief of staff while promoting long-time strategist James Ashby to Party Director, allowing Ashby to focus exclusively on election campaigns, candidate recruitment and organisational growth.

The restructuring is intended to strengthen the party’s ability to contest multiple elections over the coming years.

Victoria’s state election is shaping as one of Australia’s most closely watched political contests.

Following a leadership change within Labor, Premier Ben Carroll is leading the government into the election after replacing Jacinta Allan, while the Liberal-National Coalition is attempting to return to office after more than a decade in opposition.

At the same time, One Nation hopes growing dissatisfaction with the major parties will translate into stronger support, particularly in the Legislative Council where proportional representation provides greater opportunities for minor parties to secure seats.

Recent polling has suggested One Nation has strengthened its position among conservative voters, although surveys vary regarding the extent of that support.

Political analysts note that even modest gains in the upper house could significantly increase the party’s influence if the next Parliament is more fragmented than the current one.

The campaign launch also attracted attention for reasons beyond the candidate announcements.

Journalists from the ABC, The Guardian and several other media organisations were denied access to the Melbourne press conference after Hanson accused those outlets of biased reporting, ensuring the event generated discussion about both One Nation’s electoral strategy and its increasingly confrontational relationship with sections of Australia’s mainstream media.

For Hanson, however, the central message remained focused on the coming election.

She argued Victoria has reached a turning point after years of Labor government and said One Nation’s newly announced candidates represent what she described as a practical alternative for voters seeking political change.

Whether that message translates into additional parliamentary seats will become clear when Victorians vote in November, but the launch signals One Nation’s intention to mount its most ambitious Victorian campaign in many years.