James Ashby denies One Nation preference deal claim

James Ashby, Pauline Hanson's chief strategist, has denied trying to orchestrate a preference deal between One Nation and Victorian Labor ahead of the state election on 28 November. A preference deal is an arrangement about where a party directs its supporters' second-choice votes. Ashby told Guardian Australia on 5 November that his calls to Labor were about leaders' debates, not preference negotiations.

Two senior Labor sources told Guardian Australia that Ashby contacted Victorian Labor campaign headquarters in recent weeks. Labor sources allege he made calls to senior Labor leadership on 24 and 26 October. Ashby has said One Nation has put Labor last on preferences, adding "We want them gone."

Victorian Labor sources say the party is not negotiating with One Nation on principle, despite the contact attempts by Ashby.

Separately, Warren Pickering, One Nation's Victorian leader, was pictured having coffee with Labor operative Andrew Landeryou in Melbourne's central business district on the morning of 5 November. Landeryou is a registered lobbyist in Victoria and chief executive of Critical Issues Group. He was once the partner of the late Victorian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching.

The campaign is also playing out on the Liberal side. Billboards warning voters of a Liberal-One Nation coalition have gone up in Bentleigh and Mordialloc. In October, The Australian reported that the Victorian Liberals would hold off on preference talks with One Nation before the election. Jess Wilson leads the Victorian Liberals as opposition leader.