‘Cash grab’: One Nation demands up to $630,000 from Victorian election candidates

<p><strong>Exclusive:</strong> Many applicants left feeling ‘used, lied to, misled and gaslit’, complaint letter seen by Guardian Australia says</p><ul><li><p>Listen to the Guardian podcast <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/guardian-australia-podcast-series">The Populist here</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">new political email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>One Nation could collect as much as $633,000 from people who have put their hand up to run in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/19/one-nation-victorian-election-candidates-michael-piastrino-elita-dabrowski-ben-lucas-ntwnfb">Victorian state election</a>, with potential candidates questioning whether the party is staging a “cash grab”.</p><p>Guardian Australia has spoken to multiple former councillors, mayors and deputy mayors who expressed an interest in running for the party. They claim they went through what one called a “pay-to-play” application process, after which they were rejected.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/28/politics-really-newsletter-guardian-australia-free-best-daily-auspol-email-subscribe?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/27/one-nation-to-demand-thousands-from-victorian-election-candidates-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>