Man and Boy Arrested After One Nation Volunteer Allegedly Attacked With Baseball Bat in Victoria
A man and a 14-year-old boy have been arrested after a One Nation volunteer was allegedly assaulted with a baseball bat outside his home in Torquay, Victoria, during the state election campaign.
BBC World
Two people have been arrested after a volunteer for Australia's right-wing populist party One Nation was allegedly assaulted with a baseball bat outside his home.
A man, 37, and a boy, 14, were arrested on Sunday night following the incident in Torquay, a coastal town about 100km (62 miles) south-west of Melbourne. The man has been charged with assault offences and remanded in custody, while the boy was issued with a caution.
The volunteer was hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries and remains in a stable condition, according to police.
One Nation's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, claimed the attack occurred after the pair "interfered with" election signs on the volunteer's property. Police have not provided any detail about a motive.
Mr Pickering described the alleged assault as "un-Australian and unacceptable". "Political violence or intimidation of any kind against anyone is unacceptable in this country," he said. "If you don't like someone's politics, you vote accordingly. You don't assault them."
On Tuesday, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson visited the injured volunteer at University Hospital Geelong, where he is recovering. She praised his "resilience" and "belief" in her party, and told reporters outside the hospital: "He wants to go right back out there and put the signs up."
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll called the attack "shocking". "Whether you're wearing a red, a blue, an orange, or a green T-shirt, they are volunteers," he said. "They are out there doing what they believe is right, and no one should be coming under attack."
The alleged attack came during the Victorian state election campaign and amid a wider reckoning in Australia over the tone of political debate, following an attack on federal MP Helen Haines last month. Police have not detailed a motive for that incident, which the BBC reported left Ms Haines needing both of her legs amputated. Politicians, law enforcement and experts have said heated public discourse is heightening the threat of political violence in the country.