A 37-year-old 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, around 100km south-west of Melbourne. The incident occurred during Victoria’s state election campaign.
Police said the volunteer was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The man was charged with assault offences and remanded in custody, while the boy was issued with a caution. Police have not provided a motive for the incident.
One Nation Victorian leader Warren Pickering said the alleged attack followed the pair interfering with election signs on the volunteer’s property. He condemned the assault and said political violence or intimidation was unacceptable.
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll also described the incident as shocking, saying volunteers should not be attacked, whatever political party they support.
The case comes amid wider concern in Australia about the tone of political debate, following an attack on federal MP Helen Haines last month. The recovered report said politicians, law enforcement officials and experts had warned that heated public discourse was increasing the threat of political violence.
Sources: BBC News World.