One Nation hires ex-Liberal who nearly led NSW branch to vet 900 candidates

Mark Jones is now interviewing One Nation candidates in New South Wales and Victoria. In 2023, he was a finalist for state director of the NSW Liberal branch. Three years later, he helps select the people who will campaign against his former colleagues.

Jones quit the Liberal Party in January. He joined One Nation as a political consultant in February. Internal documents show he redesigned the candidate selection and vetting process. He sits in on interviews alongside Susie Douglas.

Douglas is a former Queensland National Party executive. She previously worked for the Palmer United Party. In 2014, she described that group as a cult in an interview with the Gold Coast Bulletin.

The new process in NSW differs from the one used in Victoria. In Victoria, applicants filled out a 25-page form and interviewed with a team that included state leader Warren Pickering. In NSW, Jones and Douglas conduct 20 to 30 minute interviews alone.

They make recommendations to a three-person selection committee. That committee includes NSW leader Mike Newman, state president Rebecca Thompson, and state secretary Sam Donovan. Endorsement decisions follow police and credit checks.

The NSW branch introduced a 60-second video requirement for applicants. This change came after the party found that some candidates looked good on paper but struggled in interviews. Applicants must also sign non-disclosure agreements.

These agreements stop candidates from publicly confirming their applications. A copy of the NSW agreement states that candidates may be held financially liable if they share or fail to secure confidential party information.

Jones is the son of a former Liberal minister, Don Harwin. He served as deputy chief of staff to Harwin. He lost a Liberal preselection in 2015. After leaving parliament in 2019, he joined the lobbying firm PremierNational.

In early 2026, Jones formed Camelot Consulting with his wife, Shani. South Australian records show the firm was paid more than $100,000 by One Nation during the March state election. It is not yet known how much the firm has earned in NSW and Victoria.

The changes have not stopped controversial endorsements. A former Liberal with underworld support and a naturopath who backed Donald Trump’s autism claims have both been selected. On Sunday, Melbourne candidate Matthew Collins resigned after posting offensive comments about sexual consent and pornographic jokes.

In September, Newman said the party had received 900 applications for 93 NSW seats. The party called for more applications before the October 31 deadline. Some members still want branches to have a greater say in who is selected.

One Nation, Jones, and Douglas declined to comment on the changes or their roles in the process.