The first Indigenous head of government in Australia has been repeatedly asked to lead One Nation in Victoria.
However, former Northern Territory chief minister Adam Giles, who led the Country Liberal Party (CLP) from 2013 to 2016 has turned down the overtures, the Herald Sun reports.
The apparent rejection leaves the far-right party without a high-profile leader in Victoria as it seeks to capitalise on growing support ahead of November's state election.
Recent polling has pointed to the possibility of a hung parliament, with a resurgence in support for One Nation contributing to the uncertainty surrounding Labor's bid for a fourth consecutive term in government.
Mr Giles — the chief executive of Gina Rinehart's Hancock Agriculture and S. Kidman & Co cattle and clothing businesses — is reportedly content in his current role and is not seeking a return to frontline politics, with the Herald Sun reporting his comments that "his boss wouldn't be too happy" if he left to run One Nation in Victoria.
The former Sky News host has long been associated with Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
Last year, he argued the party was the only political force providing leadership on net zero and immigration, claiming the pursuit of net zero policies to tackle climate change was sending Australia on a "downwards trajectory — economically, socially and culturally".
Mr Giles also blamed "left woke propaganda" for what he described as the erosion of Australia's national identity.
"Australians have been suffering and will increasingly do, under the left-leaning policies of net zero," he said.
"We have been living under the immigration Ponzi scheme, trying to hold our economy together without fixing the problems: excess government tape, regulation and taxes and big wasteful government."
In April, Mr Giles donated what One Nation described as a "brand new car to One Nation ahead of the 2028 federal election" — an orange four-wheel drive bearing the number plate "Ausssie".
Senator Hanson thanked Mr Giles publicly, writing on social media: "Thank you Adam. This vehicle provides us the presence we need in the lead up to the next federal election."
His role with Hancock Agriculture and S. Kidman & Co cattle and clothing businesses highlights the link between Ms Rinehart and One Nation. Australia's richest person is one of the party's most prominent supporters and recently donated a Cirrus G7 private aircraft, through one of her companies, for Senator Hanson to use.
Federal and state Labor figures have sought to portray support for One Nation as support for Ms Rinehart's business interests, particularly in the mining sector.
Last week, at a News Corp-hosted conference in Townsville, Ms Rinehart presented Senator Hanson with what she described as "a beautiful, big, fat" toy orange bulldozer, telling the audience the One Nation leader was giving Australians hope.
The appearance came days after Senator Hanson's address to the National Press Club, where she echoed US President Donald Trump's pro-mining rhetoric.
"I'm saying, 'dig baby dig,'" Senator Hanson told the audience.
During the speech, the Senator — who was found by the Federal Court in 2024 to have breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act — also pledged to abolish the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) if One Nation formed government, arguing the move would reduce government debt and ensure First Nations people were treated the same as other Australians.
