One Nation candidate? Not yet, says Cr Edwards

Despite featuring selfies on social media of herself with Pauline Hanson, Barnaby Joyce and Cory Bernardi at a well-publicised One Nation fundraising event in Melbourne, Cr Meg Edwards says she’s “just a member and supporter at this stage”.

by Michael Giles

Published June 24, 2026

One Nation candidate? Not yet, says Cr Edwards — Bass Coast Councillor Meg Edwards says she’s “just a member and supporter” of One Nation for now but doesn’t rule out standing as a candidate for the party at the next State Election. She is pictured with Senator Pauline Hanson, the One Nation Party leader, at a fundraising event in Melbourne recently.

ROCHELLE Halstead, Mat Morgan and soon, the Bass Coast Shire Council could have a third councillor standing at the State Election in November - Meg Edwards.

However, despite featuring selfies on her Facebook page of herself with Pauline Hanson, Barnaby Joyce and Cory Bernardi at a well-publicised One Nation fundraising event in Melbourne, Cr Edwards says she’s “just a member and supporter at this stage”.

“Yes, I’m a member of One Nation and a supporter and I’ve gone along to a few functions, and like many other people there, met Pauline Hanson and had my photo taken with her,” said Ms Edwards this week.

“But I haven’t had a sit down with her or anything.

“In fact, I don’t think they’re even interviewing for any of the candidates until July.

“Yes, I’m an active member, but that’s as far as it goes at this stage,” she said.

Bass Coast Councillor Meg Edwards has continue to fuel speculation she might run as a candidate for One Nation at the next state election, posting selfies on social media with One Nation leaders, and changing her profile picture to include a distinctive yellow background, somewhere between the orange of One Nation and the yellow of the various Clive Palmer iterations.

Ms Edwards has ruled out running in any Lower House seats, including Bass, where she would be against her own council colleague Rochelle Halstead, but the Upper House seat of Eastern Victoria is not out of the question.

“Look, if someone like Warren Pickering, who I have the greatest of respect for, was running, I’d put my full support behind him but if the situation was right, I might consider it.

“But, right now, I’m not looking at that as a possibility.

“Warren Pickering, who is the Victorian President of One Nation and a resident of Drouin, was a candidate in Eastern Victoria last time and he may well be again.

“He’s a smart, very level-headed bloke and he’d make a great local member. I’d support him.”

But Ms Edwards indicated she was unlikely to seek a position, lower down on a One Nation ticket for Eastern Victoria.

**Bass Coast Councillor Meg Edwards with Barnaby Joyce at a recent One Nation function.**

Meg Edwards is a former candidate and member of the Liberal Party but after running for the Liberal Democrats in the 2022 state election, to address local concerns about offshore turbines along the Bass Coast and South Gippsland coast, she said she was blocked from rejoining the Liberal Party.

“I would have considered rejoining them, but not now,” she said.

She promotes herself as “Real not Teal”, a back to basics supporter, farmer, businesswoman, mother and community representative.

She says she posts her own views (not the council’s) on her social media pages and calls on those who respond to her comments to show “respectful and be kind”.

Ms Edwards said she believed a number of seats in Gippsland could be in play for One Nation at the next election, but taking a broader view, she said winning one of the five Upper House MP positions in Eastern Victoria was well within reach.

At present the five Upper House positions in Eastern Victoria are held by: