One Nation’s Western Australian leader has defended his party’s vetting process after the founder of a disbanded far-right group was seen handing out how-to-vote cards for its candidate during the Secret Harbour byelection.
Rod Caddies said it was unrealistic for the party to vet every volunteer who offered to help on election day, while insisting that people with extremist views were not welcome in One Nation.
David Donis, who founded the now-defunct Society of Western Australian Nationalists (SWAN), distributed cards for One Nation candidate Luke Herdegen at a polling booth at Singleton Primary School on August 29. He was later pictured celebrating Mr Herdegen’s victory at the party’s election-night event.
SWAN was described as a “nationalist and racist extremist” organisation adhering to neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideologies in a 2023 Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision. The ruling concerned the withdrawal of a Perth-based army reservist’s security clearance over his associations with the group and Mr Donis.
Mr Donis told the tribunal that he was not a neo-Nazi or white supremacist, had not promoted violence and did not lead a racist organisation. The tribunal rejected those claims, saying it was satisfied that he and other SWAN members promoted racist and neo-Nazi ideologies.
Mr Caddies said Mr Donis was not a One Nation member and had previously belonged to the Liberal Party. He said there had been hundreds of volunteers at the byelection and that supporters had been invited to collect party clothing before handing out how-to-vote cards.
“Anyone that thinks that you would be able to vet every volunteer that shows up on election day, obviously would have big backing of money to do that or the resources,” Mr Caddies said. “We don’t even have one paid staff for One Nation in WA.”
He added: “I do not want neo-Nazis coming and volunteering for us at One Nation. Is that clear enough?”
Mr Caddies said he was unhappy for anyone who did not meet an acceptable standard to be involved with the party. He also pointed to an occasion when he confronted people he identified as neo-Nazis at an anti-immigration rally in Perth, telling them they were not welcome.
The controversy follows One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s decision in June to close four branches over concerns about far-right figures speaking at meetings. It also comes after former One Nation WA candidate Parminder Singh apologised for an interview in which he described gay people as having a “mental illness”.
Mr Herdegen said he did not know Mr Donis and did not support his views. His involvement with the campaign was “disappointing”, Mr Herdegen said, adding that extremists should not be welcome in any political party.
Western Australian Liberal leader Basil Zempilas said the matter was for One Nation to address, after Liberal upper house MP Anthony Spagnolo questioned the government about alleged neo-Nazi infiltration of the party.
Mr Caddies had previously criticised Mr Spagnolo on social media, describing him as a “weak woke joke” in an AI-generated image and accusing the Liberal MP of seeking material against One Nation from Labor.
