I’ve seen plenty of critical coverage over the years, but Network 10’s latest report on my plans to register a “Free Palestine Party” in Victoria stands out … not for its sting, but for its hilarious unintended impact.

Not only did they do my promo work for me, their reporter tried to pressure One Nation Pauline Hanson in an interview to distance herself from me … and when she didn’t give the answers they clearly wanted, they edited it all out.

In the segment, I was described as a “far-right activist” who “served in the Israeli army,” with the report questioning why I would lead such a movement.

The coverage had the completely opposite effect of what was intended. The moment I announced I was launching a free Palestine party that will send its preferences to parties like One Nation, the meltdown was instant.

The report, fronted by journalist Rory Campbell, also hilariously labelled me “an agitator and a provocateur.” At the centre of their big controversy was the news of my plan to register the Free Palestine Party and direct its preferences towards Pauline Hanson’s One Nation. Hanson herself was shown in the report welcoming the idea, saying she would “gladly welcome those preferences,” which you know had to trigger them.

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But what was more interesting was what Campbell decided to leave out of the report … He really did try his best to get Hanson to bad-mouth me, and when he looked foolish after she clearly stated her position, he deleted that footage his report.

Channel 10’s hand-picked critics featured in the segment were far less supportive. One pro-Palestine activist said: “I believe it is deceitful. I think it's anti-democratic. I think it's the work of a right-wing racist agitator to try and build the forces of the far right, of racism, and of Islamophobia.”

Isn’t it interesting that none of them have ever voiced these objections to this kind of strategy, with the tactics already used within Victorian politics. But when this same kind of strategy is used to benefit left-wing parties, no problem!

The report also included “political strategy expert” Kos Samaras who went along with the story, claiming the issue of Palestine was unlikely to influence election outcomes, saying: “No, absolutely not. Just because something is popular within someone's online ecosystem doesn't mean it's popular in the real world.”

To formally register in Victoria, a party must secure at least 500 members and meet requirements set by the Victorian Electoral Commission. The deadline is approaching, so if you're in Victoria, head to the registration website FreePalestinePartyVic.com now to take action.

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