From Liberal hopeful to One Nation gatekeeper: ex-party figure now vets candidates

A former Liberal party moderate who came close to securing one of the most powerful administrative jobs in New South Wales politics is now playing a central role in choosing One Nation candidates who will run against his old colleagues.

In 2023, Mark Jones was among the final three candidates to become state director of the NSW Liberal branch, a position responsible for running election campaigns and managing fundraising, according to multiple Liberal sources familiar with the recruitment process. His advancement was ultimately blocked. He quit the party in January and signed on with One Nation as a political consultant in February.

Internal One Nation documents seen by Guardian Australia show Jones has helped redesign the party's candidate selection and vetting procedures and has sat in on applicant interviews. He is assisted by Susie Douglas, a former Queensland National party executive who briefly worked for the Palmer United Party before quitting and describing it as a cult.

The stricter process has not prevented One Nation from endorsing state candidates with controversial histories. They include a former Liberal who has drawn support from alleged underworld figures, a naturopath who endorsed Donald Trump's unfounded claim linking paracetamol to autism, and a former shire councillor who lost his licence for drink-driving. On Sunday, Matthew Collins, the party's candidate for Melbourne, resigned and apologised over now deleted social media comments on issues including sexual consent and pornographic jokes. A party spokesperson described the remarks as 'offensive'.

Guardian Australia can also reveal the party reworked its NSW selection process after Victorian members complained about lengthy delays and a lack of democratic decision making. In Victoria, applicants invited to short online interviews with Jones and Douglas were surprised to find state leader Warren Pickering also present. Documents identify the trio as a 'selection committee', with endorsements made after police and credit checks.

In NSW, Jones and Douglas now conduct 20 to 30 minute interviews on their own before passing recommendations to a separate three-person committee comprising NSW leader Mike Newman, state president Rebecca Thompson and state secretary Sam Donovan. The online interviews probe a candidate's vision for the state, understanding of the parliamentary system and potential contribution to a future One Nation government. 'You are expected to address each of these matters,' one document instructs, while warning applicants to treat their participation as confidential.

Victorian hopefuls were first screened through a 25-page form that asked whether they had faced court proceedings or been accused of bullying and verbal abuse. NSW has replaced that with a much shorter online questionnaire and added a requirement for a 60-second video explaining why the applicant wants to join, after Victorian contenders who impressed on paper fell short in interviews. Before any interview, applicants must sign restrictive non-disclosure agreements not imposed by other parties, and one NSW agreement confirms candidates may be financially liable if they share or fail to secure confidential party information.

Interest has been strong. Newman said in September that One Nation had received 900 applications for 93 NSW seats, and the party called for more ahead of the 31 October deadline. Even so, some members want local branches given a greater say over who represents their regions.

Jones is a former deputy chief of staff to ex-NSW Liberal minister Don Harwin and ran unsuccessfully for the state seat of Shellharbour in 2015. After leaving state parliament in 2019, he joined lobbying firm PremierNational alongside moderate powerbroker Michael Photios before founding Camelot Consulting with his wife, Shani, in early 2026. South Australian electoral records show the firm was paid more than $100,000 for services to One Nation during the March state election; its earnings in NSW and Victoria are not yet known. Douglas, listed in documents as the party's 'candidate selection officer' and a self-described former senior vice president of the Queensland Nationals, served as an independent Gold Coast councillor and contested the federal seat of McPherson for the Palmer United Party in 2013. A year later she told the Gold Coast Bulletin the experience was 'a bit like being in a cult'. One Nation, Jones and Douglas all declined to comment.