Pauline Hanson interrupted newly announced One Nation candidate Mike Newman after he answered a journalist’s question in Japanese at a press conference in Singleton, telling him that others would appreciate English. Newman is set to lead the party’s New South Wales campaign and contest Cessnock, making the exchange notable given Hanson’s past comments on multiculturalism and Asian immigration.

Newman, a former NSW trade commissioner to Japan and Korea, said his Japanese wife and Indian business partners meant he did not view One Nation as racist. He proposed cutting payroll tax, including abolishing it in regional areas, and said the party would focus on living costs, housing and regional industries; Stuart Bonds will lead its upper-house ticket. Labor MP Jenny Aitchison criticised the candidates’ record on Hunter train manufacturing, while the NSW election is scheduled for 13 March 2027.