Man charged after alleged baseball bat attack on One Nation volunteer in Victoria

A 37-year-old man has been charged and a 14-year-old boy cautioned after a One Nation volunteer was allegedly assaulted with a baseball bat outside his home on Victoria’s Surf Coast. The 60-year-old victim was taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Police confirmed the arrests on Tuesday, 3 November, saying the alleged assault occurred at a property on Scorpio Street in Torquay at about 7.45pm on Sunday. Officers responding to the incident arrested the pair shortly afterwards. The adult, from Hampton Park, faces a charge of intentionally causing injury and other assault-related offences. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear again on 10 November.

One Nation’s Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, identified the injured man as a party volunteer. He alleged that the incident started when the man and boy interfered with One Nation signs at the volunteer’s property. Pickering condemned the alleged attack as “un-Australian and unacceptable”, saying disagreement with someone’s politics should be expressed through voting and that political violence or intimidation was unacceptable.

The party’s federal leader, Pauline Hanson, and its Victorian deputy leader, Colleen Harkin, were expected to visit the volunteer in hospital on Tuesday morning. Victorian premier Ben Carroll also condemned the alleged incident, describing it as “shocking” and calling for a peaceful election campaign.

Carroll said volunteers should be able to campaign for their chosen parties without being attacked, regardless of their political affiliation. His comments came as Victorian MPs remained on high alert before the state election on 28 November, following an alleged attack on federal MP Helen Haines last month.

In a separate investigation, police are seeking a woman over an incident involving Liberal MP Georgie Crozier in Port Melbourne on 17 October. Police said on Tuesday morning that Crozier, 62, had been distributing flyers alongside volunteers outside a Bay Street supermarket when an unknown woman approached her. The woman appeared to be affected by substances, according to police.

Shortly afterwards, a vehicle drove onto a gutter near the group, swerved towards nearby traffic lights and left. Police said the people involved were shaken but suffered no physical injuries. Investigators have released a woman’s image in the hope she can assist their inquiries and have appealed for other witnesses.

Other Victorian politicians have also voiced safety concerns. Emergency services minister Paul Edbrooke told reporters last week that he believed he was being followed and feared for his family after a bullet bearing the word “RAT” and his former firefighter number was left on his car. Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell and Nationals MP Annabelle Cleeland have separately raised concerns about threats.