If you thought journalists at major media outlets had issues accessing One Nation representatives, spare a thought for our regional colleagues who just want a ‘coffee and a chat’ with ON candidates ahead of the Victorian election. Doesn’t look like they’re getting their flat white anytime soon.
By Anushri Sood
Craig Wilson is the editor of the Ararat Advocate and Pyrenees Advocate, the main mastheads in the western Victorian electorates of Ripon and Lowan, respectively. His papers cover local news in more than 130 towns, including Ararat, Beaufort and Skipton, with a combined population of over 100,000 people.
So you’d think a political candidate looking to represent the region — 8 weeks out from a state election — would want to have a chin wag about who they are, what they stand for, and the most pressing issues in their electorates.
Apparently not. Wilson says despite multiple attempts to reach out to One Nation candidate for Ripon, Donna Buxton, he has been met with silence, refusals and redirections to “One Nation headquarters.”