James Ashby denies pursuing One Nation preference deal with Labor ahead of Victorian election

One Nation's James Ashby has denied trying to arrange a preference deal with Victorian Labor before the 28 November state election. Two senior Labor sources told Guardian Australia that Ashby called the party's campaign headquarters on 24 and 26 October. Ashby says the calls were only about leaders' debates. On Thursday, One Nation's Victorian leader Warren Pickering was photographed having coffee with Labor lobbyist Andrew Landeryou. Both men call it a chance meeting.

Preferences decide Victorian elections when no candidate wins more than half the vote, because the second choices of minor party supporters can shift a seat. One Nation says it wants Labor gone and puts the party last on its cards. Labor has run billboards warning that the Liberals would need One Nation to govern. Ashby is One Nation's national director and has run the party's campaigns before.

Preference deals can quietly decide who governs Victoria, so voters deserve to know what is being negotiated.