Warrnambool detective joins One Nation party for state election bid
Richard Hughes, a detective for more than 28 years with Victoria Police, contests South West Coast for One Nation.
Richard Hughes, 51, has spent more than 28 years as a detective. Most of those years were with Warrnambool's Criminal Investigation Unit.
Hughes worked through Melbourne's gangland wars in the late 1990s before moving south-west. He spent the past 20 years investigating serious crime including methamphetamine trafficking and arson.
Richard Hughes left the Liberal Party in January. He said he was disappointed with its direction at state level.
Hughes argues that serious crime has spiralled beyond acceptable levels. He says police are under-supported by courts and fleeing the force.
He spent six months working in a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory. This experience, he says, shaped his views on policy.
- 28 years Victoria Police
- Police service
- 51
- Age
- 1998 at age 23
- Joined police force
Why it mattersA serving senior detective switching to One Nation signals frustration with law and order policies and could sway regional voters on policing and crime.
AustraliaVictorian state election race intensifies in regional South West Coast seat; reflects police frustration with crime handling and court support.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 6 d ago
