Mark Jones helps One Nation overhaul NSW candidate vetting

Mark Jones was a top contender for a senior role in the New South Wales Liberal Party in 2023, but that path closed when his promotion was blocked. He has since moved to the other side of the state political divide. Jones, who left the Liberal Party in January, is now a key figure in One Nation’s strategy to recruit candidates for the upcoming state election.

Internal documents show Jones has been central to redesigning the party’s candidate selection and vetting procedures since joining as a consultant in February. He works alongside Susie Douglas, a former Queensland National executive who previously described the Palmer United Party as a cult. Together, they manage the administrative side of One Nation’s state election campaigns.

The new process in New South Wales involves 20 to 30 minute online interviews. Jones and Douglas conduct these sessions alone. They then make recommendations to a three-person selection committee that does not include either of them. The committee consists of NSW leader Mike Newman, state president Rebecca Thompson, and state secretary Sam Donovan. In Victoria, the process was different. There, state leader Warren Pickering attended interviews with Jones and Douglas, forming a three-person committee directly. Victorian applicants also faced a 25-page screening form, a hurdle that has been reduced to a shorter online questionnaire in NSW.

The shift aims to address complaints from members about slow decision making and a lack of democratic input. The new NSW model also requires applicants to submit a 60-second video explaining their motivation. Party officials introduced this step after finding that some Victorian candidates looked strong on paper but performed poorly during interviews.

Despite these changes, the selection process has not eliminated all controversy. One Nation has endorsed several candidates with public history of issues. These include a former Liberal backed by alleged underworld figures, a naturopath who supported Donald Trump’s claim linking paracetamol to autism, and a former shire councillor who lost his license for drink-driving. In Melbourne, candidate Matthew Collins resigned on Sunday following deleted social media comments about sexual consent and pornography. A party spokesperson called the comments offensive.

Applicants in New South Wales must sign restrictive non-disclosure agreements before their interviews. The documents allow the party to hold candidates financially liable if they share confidential information. This requirement prevents applicants from publicly confirming their status in the process. In September, Newman said the party had received 900 applications for 93 seats. The party called for more applications before the October 31 deadline.

Jones built his career in the Liberal Party. He served as deputy chief of staff to former minister Don Harwin and ran for the state seat of Shellharbour in 2015. After leaving parliament in 2019, he joined the lobbying firm PremierNational. In early 2026, he started his own consultancy, Camelot Consulting, with his wife Shani. South Australian records show the firm earned more than $100,000 from One Nation during the March state election. The amount earned in NSW and Victoria is not yet public. One Nation, Jones, and Douglas declined to comment.