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One Nation founder Pauline Hanson has said claims about Victorian leader Warren Pickering having an alleged history of heavy drug use is “a personal situation” and not a matter for the party.
In an interview with The Australian on Monday, Pickering’s former partner of almost two decades, Jo Scott, claimed the pair had used marijuana and amphetamines – including the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or ice – in the home they shared with their daughter and her three sons from a previous marriage.
The article was accompanied by handwritten notes purportedly written by Pickering to Scott, apologising for his behaviour while “on the shit” and acknowledging “using substances”.
A former bricklayer who also served in the army as a combat engineer, Pickering is a self-described conspiracy theorist who has claimed Australian government policy is controlled by a cabal of foreign “globalists”, and endorsed the idea that the world economy was deliberately crashed to trigger a “great reset”.
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Hanson said on Monday during a press conference she was comfortable with the 43-year-old leading the party at a state level despite the claims.
“I’m happy [with him],” she said. “These are allegations that have been put to Warren Pickering, and he’s denied those allegations. I will not be saying any more about it. It is a personal situation.”
One Nation senator Barnaby Joyce said Pickering was accepted into and served the Australian Army following the period of alleged drug use, which included security vetting.
“He managed to serve our nation. And the other thing … we’re talking about something 20 years ago,” Joyce said.
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Pickering was named as One Nation’s Victorian leader early last month and is standing for the marginal lower house seat of Pakenham in the November state election. He previously ran unsuccessfully as a candidate in the 2022 state election and for the Senate in 2025.
In Victoria, One Nation has been polling with primary support of 23 per cent, which suggests it could be a major presence in the next state parliament.
One handwritten note purportedly written by Pickering reads: “I’v [sic] been talking to people about my own sexual deviance when on the shit & it turns out its all fairly common like all 70s Rock Stars who got off everything & went on to lead normal lives.”
Pickering said in a statement on Monday that his former partner had made “false and salacious allegations” against him since 2010.
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“The [Family] Court has dismissed these allegations and has consistently given me sole custody of our daughter,” he said.
“These allegations are false. They’re extremely hurtful, and I just hope the public can see through them.”
Scott and Pickering were in a relationship between 2000 and 2018. The allegations relate to a period between 2005 and 2014.
Scott was contacted for comment.
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Patrick Hatch is state politics reporter at The Age. Contact him at [email protected], or via Signal at @pwhatch.61Connect via X or email.AdvertisementAdvertisement