One Nation has launched its Victorian election campaign, vowing to legalise the personal use of pepper spray, abolish the state’s treaty with Indigenous people, and scrap payroll tax in regional Victoria.

A social media post announcing its policy to “make it cheaper and easier to set up new businesses in Victoria” featured an AI-generated image of a “traditional [sic] fish n’chips” shop. Their latest candidates include a former Liberal who has won support from alleged underworld figures, a naturopath who has endorsed Donald Trump’s unfounded claim that paracetamol is linked to autism and a former shire councillor who lost his licence for drink-driving.

The party is understood to have again prevented reporters from certain media outlets from attending the launch. But it is reported by some news outlets that Northern Metropolitan candidate and creator of the party’s Please Explain Cartoon, Mark Nicholson, vowed at the launch that if One Nation won the election, former premiers Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan would be “in prison by Christmas”.

One Nation has come under fire for practices that could see it collect as much as $633,000 from people who have nominated for the Victorian election, with some potential candidates questioning whether the party is staging a “cash grab”.

The ACT government says children under the age of nine will not yet be removed from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as it begins to roll out the Thriving Kids program.

ACT Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Minister Suzanne Orr announced Thriving Kids would begin to operate in the ACT from October 1, ahead of its official start date in January 2028. All states and territories have opted in except for Queensland, but there are concerns it could mean some children will lose vital support.

The first stage of the model centres on identification, where delays or support needs could be identified by a family member, a school or a health professional. The next stage connects families to the appropriate support, and the later stages focus on providing that care depending on the individual needs of the child.

Some children will fall into categories deemed to be “low”, “moderate” or “low to moderate” need. Children with “significant permanent disability” will remain eligible for the NDIS. Those on the scheme before 2028 will stay on it, subject to the usual reassessment criteria.

Autism Awareness Australia chief executive Nicole Rogerson said they still knew little about what the Thriving Kids program would deliver. She added that with children able to access it without a diagnosis, the service would likely be overwhelmed.