Pauline Hanson has dropped her party's sole West Australian MP from the One Nation ticket, after the state's party leader claimed he didn't "pass the pub test" in his commitment to the job.
Just six months after joining One Nation, Ben Dawkins has now failed to be endorsed by One Nation ahead of the next WA election, expected in March 2025.
A decision is yet to be made on whether he will remain with the One Nation party until then, or rebrand as an independent.
Ben Dawkins, who has an office based in the South West city of Bunbury, was expelled from WA Labor in April 2023 after breaching a family violence restraining order.
Ben Dawkins waving to reporters following an appearance in court. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
One Nation's WA leader Rod Caddies, who will take the first spot for on the party's upper house ticket, said he had made the decision along with party executives.
"He wasn't dumped from the party, because he's still in the party at the moment," he said.
"He was just not endorsed for the ticket ... it was just a process where you were endorsed or you weren't," he said.
"[But] I think you need to live up to expectations of what the party and what the people of WA would expect.
Rod Caddies campaigns for One Nation with his horse Fiasco in 2018. (ABC News: Jessica Strutt)
Mr Caddies questioned Mr Dawkins commitment to the job.
"I think maybe the amount of work, your presence in parliament — just different aspects of if you pass the pub test [of] what you would expect of the commitment as a member of parliament," he said.
"I've got not ill-feelings for Ben however I just don't feel that he has performed to the level that I think the public would expect of a sitting member of parliament."
"I don't think that has earned him a spot moving forward to represent us."
He said Mr Dawkins's fines for breaching a family violence order did not come into play in the decision not to endorse him.
Pauline Hanson travelled to Perth in February 2024 to welcome Mr Dawkins into her party. (Supplied: One Nation)
Ms Hanson travelled to Perth in February to welcome Mr Dawkins into her party, which still has three other MPs in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, as well as Senator Malcolm Roberts in Canberra.
Mr Dawkins is described on the One Nation website as having made "important contributions to issues relating to COVID vaccination mandates, firearm reform, housing [and] gender ideology."
Premier Roger Cook said being kicked out of One Nation "must be an extraordinary exercise".
"We all have to make sure we uphold community standards both in our language and our conduct," he said.
"And often we see from One Nation candidates that they fall and fail to meet that standard. Ben Dawkins is just another."
Ben Dawkins's office in Bunbury's main street brandished a number of large political slogans on the windows, before some were ripped off. (ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch)
Mr Dawkins has frequently been criticised by Labor inside Parliament for his speeches and debates, particularly when they have focused on LGBTQIA+ issues.
The decision is understood to have been endorsed by the national One Nation party leader Pauline Hanson, who declined the ABC's request to comment.
Mr Dawkins has also been contacted for comment.
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