One Nation Tasmanian Senate candidate Adam Lambert says a suspected arson attack on his car at a Hobart shopping centre came at the end of a particularly ugly campaign against the party in Tasmania.
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Mr Lambert was in Shoreline Plaza at Howrah for about 20 minutes buying a present for a volunteer when he became aware that the car - which was lent to him by a supporter for the campaign - was engulfed in flames.
The fire gutted the vehicle, including clearly-displayed One Nation signs attached to its rear.
But Mr Lambert said he was pleased to have saved one crucial object from the fire.
"I grabbed my list of volunteers. If I lost that, I couldn't call any of them to thank them for their support," he said.
"[It was] absolutely the most precious thing I had [in the car].
"Without those people, our campaign wouldn't have been possible."
Mr Lambert had been taking down One Nation signs in the area when he parked at the shops.
Because it was not an area he frequents, he did not believe he was stalked but was instead the target of an opportunistic attack.
"A mum and her daughter were outside when I came out and the daughter said, 'We saw someone hanging around your car'," Mr Lambert said.
"It was not likely to be accidental.
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"I was worried about other cars nearby. I was definitely shaken up and emotional.
"There were all these little explosions going off because I had things in the car like a battery-powered drill."
Mr Lambert was second on the One Nation ticket behind Matthew Stephen.
The party increased its Senate primary vote in Tasmania from 2.57 per cent in 2016 to 3.59 in 2019, seeing off the threat of other far-right anti-immigration parties. One Nation was unlikely to win a seat, however, with two seats going to the Liberals, two to Labor, one to the Greens and one to Jacqui Lambie.
Mr Lambert alleged that he and One Nation volunteers were intimidated at various places around the state, including people ripping corflutes off the car while he was parked on Macquarie Street in Hobart.
"There were some rather unkind remarks ... at polling booths in Tasmania. I saw a scuffle at a New Norfolk booth," he said.
"We used to be a polite [Australian] race."
Tasmania Police have confirmed the fire was suspicious and they are investigating.
Mr Lambert said it was a disappointing incident.
"It's a shame our campaign had to end this way," he said.