Watch: Pauline Hanson and senior staffer clash over ejecting ABC journalists

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and her chief-of-staff, James Ashby, have clashed over his decision to eject regional ABC journalists from a media event in Albury on the eve of the Farrer byelection.

Exclusive footage taken by Nine News shows Ashby and a One Nation volunteer escorting a two-person ABC crew, based at nearby Wodonga, from the venue where Hanson, Barnaby Joyce and Farrer candidate David Farley were about to give a press conference on Friday.

As the journalists questioned who was kicking them out, Ashby said it was his decision and told them to ask the ABC’s Canberra boss for an explanation.

But Hanson appeared to be as confused as the ABC crew in her interaction with Ashby afterwards. “Why, if they’re local ABC? Rural and regional?” she asked him, according to the video footage.

“Because they’re reporting back to ABC Canberra,” Ashby responded.

Hanson replied: “They shouldn’t have gone.”

The interaction is the latest miscommunication within One Nation in recent days. Earlier this week, Ashby claimed on Sky News that Hanson might run for a lower house seat at the next election. The next day, Hanson said a move was under consideration but that she was “surprised” that Ashby had raised it on television.

The party also changed its lines on a scuffle between Liberal senator James Paterson and a One Nation volunteer outside an Albury pre-poll booth on Wednesday, in which Paterson filmed an argument between the pair.

Paterson claimed that he had been assaulted after the volunteer grabbed the senator’s phone once he realised he was being filmed. Farley condemned the incident, and Hanson initially apologised for it.

Later that night, however, Ashby blamed Paterson for the altercation and said he had “rage baited” the pensioner. The next day, Hanson walked back her own apology and vowed to stand by the volunteer, saying she had not seen the full footage when she made her initial comments.

The campaign drama comes as One Nation attempts to capitalise on its record high polling by seizing the seat of Farrer from the Liberals and Nationals for the first time in its 77-year history at Saturday’s byelection.

This masthead’s reporting on Farley’s former attempts to stand as a Labor candidate has cast a shadow over the minor party’s campaign, although he remains the frontrunner. The Coalition parties will direct their preferences to One Nation on their how-to-vote cards.

Farley’s main contender is the Climate 200-backed independent Michelle Milthorpe, who won every booth in Albury against Ley at the 2025 election.

All major candidates and their party leaders – including Liberal leader Angus Taylor, Nationals leader Matt Canavan and Hanson – have based themselves in Albury, where almost half the electorate lives, for the final days of the campaign.

Friday’s dispute between One Nation and the ABC crew happened before a One Nation press conference in the regional town. As a volunteer told them to leave, the ABC journalists asked who the directive was coming from, saying: “We’re a taxpayer-funded news organisation.”

The journalists continued to question the decision as they were escorted out of the room.

“That’s the ABC going guys. Bye-bye to the ABC,” Ashby said as they walked down the corridor.

“Was that on your behalf, David?” the ABC reporter asked Farley, who stood with Hanson and Joyce near the door.

“No, no, that’s me, I’ve asked, thank you very much,” Ashby interjected from behind them.

The reporter asked Ashby on what grounds they were being kicked out, and he told her to ask the ABC’s chief of staff in Canberra.

“We’re based in Wodonga. We’re based in Farrer. We serve the local community,” the reporter replied.

Ashby proceeded to show them the door. When he turned back around, Hanson quietly confronted him about the crew’s removal.