One Nation leader Pauline Hanson plans to win another seat in a state by-election, backing in a former cocaine user despite the party cracking down on crime.
Senator Hanson has backed gym owner Luke Herdegen to run in the West Australian seat of Secret Harbour, an electorate south of Perth.
A coach and fitness manager, Mr Herdegen vows to be tough on crime, aligning with the views of WA One Nation leader Ross Caddies.
"Crime is up in the suburbs with the electorate, as is homelessness. Traffic for morning commuters is getting worse," Mr Caddies wrote in a social media post.
Mr Herdegen has brushed off criticism of his past, including a 2019 social media post where he admitted to heavily using cocaine before turning his life around.
"That's a story I put out there to try and help inspire people to live happier and healthier lives," Mr Herdegen said on Tuesday.
"When I'm in the streets of Secret Harbour, they're not asking me about a blog post from 10 years ago.
"I deactivated my social media to protect my family from people like (journalists)."
When Senator Hanson was asked about the cocaine use, she said she knew nothing of it.
"I have been out of the country and I just briefly met Luke yesterday," she said, referring to her European trip which included a sojourn in Italy with billionaire backer Gina Rinehart.
It came just days after Mr Caddies backed the party's candidate-vetting process.
"I am very satisfied," Mr Caddies told the West Australian.
"We used a system which checks everything - adverse media, email screening, phone screening, banned or disqualified persons' screening, court screening."
Senator Hanson has vowed to put Labor and the Greens last in preferencing for the by-election.
One Nation has attacked Labor through AI-generated social media posts that claim the state government has neglected the seat.
Speaking at a Seven West Media event in Perth, Senator Hanson said she hoped to work with the Liberals and Nationals to kick Labor out of Secret Harbour.
Labor won 46 per cent of first preferences in the seat at the 2025 election.
One Nation came in fourth place, just below the Greens, with 8.4 per cent of first preferences, more than double the party's statewide average.
