'No face-to-face meeting': Former One Nation candidate questions vetting process

Warren Pickering's public reckoning with his past has raised a broader question for One Nation as it seeks to expand its political footprint: How is the party vetting candidates it puts before the electorate?The Victorian One Nation leader this week admitted to using illicit drugs in his 20s, infidelity and losing his driver's licence three times for drink driving after allegations about his past were published by The Australian.Mr Pickering acknowledged using speed, ecstasy and marijuana when he was younger but denied allegations from his former partner Jo Scott, herself a recovering drug addict, that he used ice.Warren Pickering with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson as the party's candidates for the Victorian state election were announced. (AAP: Jay Kogler)"I made mistakes," he said."I'll carry that regret forever."Since his very public confession, One Nation has firmly stood behind him.But as the party's popularity grows ahead of Victoria's election in November, the scandal has put its candidate selection and vetting procedures under scrutiny.'I thought it was strange'Robert Stuckey was One Nation's candidate for the Western Sydney seat of Greenway at the 2025 federal election. (ABC News: Sissy Reyes)Robert Stuckey has first-hand experience of being recruited by One Nation.He stood for the party in the Western Sydney seat of Greenway at the 2025 federal election.Mr Stuckey told 7.30 his own selection involved an online interview with the party's national secretary Damian Huxham and a final phone conversation with leader Pauline Hanson."'We'd like you to run. We'd like to have you run for Greenway,'" he recalled being told."That was my selection process, so there was no face-to-face meetings."Mr Stuckey said he was required to complete extensive paperwork, including a police check and other documentation, but said a significant amount of it was submitted after he had already been pre-selected.He told 7.30 he expected candidates being considered for senior positions to be interviewed in person.Pauline Hanson said she backs Warren Pickering after his confession about taking drugs in his past. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)"I felt that it was strange that it was all done by phone, no face-to-face actual contact until we'd all been selected and there was a gathering of the candidates," he said.Mr Stuckey said the absence of face-to-face contact made it more difficult to properly assess the person behind an application."You can do all of that, but do you actually check it?" he said of the paperwork candidates submit."If you just took that on face value without meeting the person, without talking to them and getting a feeling of what they are, how the hell do you actually make a decision?"He said the importance of the appointment of a Victorian leader should demand significant scrutiny from the party."I would want to vet that person to the Nth degree and absolutely make sure that that's the person I wanted representing my party," Mr Stuckey said.As for Mr Pickering, he said, "Is he the best candidate that they could have in Victoria?"They're a big party now and I'm not so sure that I would think that I would have selected him on that factor."'It was 20 years ago' One Nation co-founder and former national director, David Oldfield. (ABC News)One Nation co-founder David Oldfield, who created the party with Ms Hanson in 1997, has a different perspective.He is no longer associated with the party, and said he did not know what vetting procedures One Nation currently used and could not judge the process Mr Pickering has undergone.During his time with the party, he said candidates were expected to obtain police clearances and were subject to other background checks that could be reasonably conducted.But he said there were limits to what any vetting process could uncover."To a degree you're always going to be taking a candidate somewhat on faith, and every now and again there's going to be something pop up," he told 7.30.David Oldfield, pictured with Pauline Hanson in 1998, is no longer associated with the party. (Reuters)He argued a candidate's past conduct should not automatically disqualify them from public life if they had not committed offences that made them unsuitable for office."The key point is it was 20 years ago. The key point is he's admitted it all, and the key point is, who is he today and what kind of dad is he?" Mr Oldfield said of Mr Pickering.He said if he were still in the party and aware of Mr Pickering's past, he would still elevate the former ADF combat engineer to Victorian leader."If we were going to eliminate people on them being unfaithful, it could probably get rid of at least half of all of the standing members in every parliament in the country," he said."In this case, I don't see that any of this eliminates him."'People throwing themselves at One Nation'Polling shows One Nation is experiencing a surge in popularity around the country. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)Mr Oldfield said One Nation faced a particular challenge as new people sought to join the growing political movement."The challenge that all parties face is really what is this person and who are they? Now, in a lot of parties they may have been well known for quite some time," he said."In One Nation's case, their challenge is a whole range of new people coming forward that they may not have known terribly well."But Mr Stuckey said the increased interest in One Nation should make candidate selection easier, not harder."I think people are throwing themselves at One Nation to be selected as candidates for both state and federal in all areas," he said."I would hope that they would now have this massive wealth of applicants to choose from and then really be selective in their selection process."A One Nation spokesperson told 7.30 "all candidates, including Mr Pickering, completed the One Nation vetting process"."His police check revealed historic drink driving offences that date back to his youth, however all financial, criminal and character references were favourable."One Nation's new vetting process was rolled out in 2026 and is used to assess candidates and examine branch coordinators across the country."Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV