Garner Smith speaks in Echuca in the lead up to the 2026 Victorian Election
Photo by
Louie Cina
It may not have been the orange wave of support he was first hoping for, but in his own words, despite a late venue change, Garner Smith’s first formal event in Echuca was a big success.
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Around 35 curious punters packed out the room, some rusted on One Nation supporters turning out to make their support felt, and others who simply wanted to know a bit more about the candidate and what he’s offering.
Mr Smith introduced himself, explained his decisions to run, and opened the floor to questions, where he was met with a mix of passion, praise, and scepticism.
He fielded questions about tackling state debt, how his party plans to support farmers, and water policy, with his answers being well received by the crowd.
Voters Eddie Smith, Joe Weir, and Richard Ham said they came to the event to hear what One Nation's policies would look like practically.
Photo by
Louie Cina
On One Nation’s water policy, when challenged by a crowd member Mr Smith conceded the party’s policy lacked detail, informing the room it was one of the first things he planned to address if elected, saying he’d received the go ahead from the Victorian branch’s leadership to write it himself.
“Lots of One Nations policies are principle based,” he said.
“When it comes to actually getting things done, often the ideas come before the specifics and I think as One Nation is growing in popularity, we’re catching up and getting better at addressing the specifics.”
There was plenty of simmering anger from all parts of the room towards Labor and the coalition, with some attendees saying a big part of their support for One Nation came from feeling abandoned by the major parties.
Mr Smith played into this, speaking of his experiencing entering local government and being horrified with the way it was being run.
Garner Smith said he'd been receiving strong support throughout the electorate and he was feeling confident about his chances in November.
Photo by
Louie Cina
“I’m still shaking my head at what I found out about when I got into council (he is a Gannawarra Shire councillor),” he said.
“Government should be there to serve the people, not the other way round.”
Mr Smith finished the night with a call for volunteers, claiming the party was receiving strong support across the electorate but saying more was needed.
The Victorian Election will be held on November 28.
