Australia news live: One Nation announces investment banker as NSW leader ahead of election

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has announced former New South Wales trade commissioner and investment banker Mike Newman as its lead candidate for the upcoming New South Wales state election, where he will contest the traditionally Labor-voting seat of Cessnock in the Hunter Valley.

The official unveiling in Singleton was marked by a public reprimand from party leadership after Newman responded to a foreign media outlet's question in Japanese. As Newman began speaking Japanese to explain how a One Nation government would support Asian investment, party leader Pauline Hanson interrupted him, stating, "I think everyone else might appreciate [English]."

Despite the interruption from his party leader, Newman continued answering the reporter's question in Japanese before translating his comments into English for the assembled media.

During the press conference, Newman acknowledged that he has not lived in New South Wales for 25 years. When pressed by reporters on his connections to the local electorate, Newman refused to answer questions regarding whether he plans to relocate to the seat of Cessnock ahead of the vote.

The exchange over the use of the Japanese language comes amid ongoing scrutiny surrounding One Nation's platform on identity and immigration. Hanson has previously called for a monoculture in Australia and famously warned during her 1996 maiden speech to parliament that the country was in danger of being "swamped by Asians."

However, Newman pushed back against assertions that One Nation harbors a culture of racism. Speaking separately to News24, Newman defended the party by referencing his personal and professional background.

"My wife’s Japanese, so if I thought for even a fleeting second that [One Nation] were racist … All my business partners are Indians who are absolutely patriotic Aussies, I don’t really see that," Newman said.

Newman's campaign in Cessnock represents a key push for One Nation in the Hunter Valley region as the party prepares its slate of candidates for the state election.