Man and teenage boy arrested after alleged baseball bat attack on party volunteer in Victoria, Australia

Police in Australia have arrested a man and a teenage boy after a political party volunteer was allegedly attacked with a baseball bat outside his home in Torquay, on Victoria's Surf Coast. Police confirmed on Tuesday that they had arrested a 37-year-old Hampton Park man and a 14-year-old boy over the incident.

A police spokesperson said investigators had been told the incident happened at a Torquay home on Sunday night. The two males allegedly assaulted the victim at a premises on Scorpio Street at about 7.45pm.

According to the spokesperson, they allegedly assaulted the man with a baseball bat before being arrested by attending units a short time later.

The victim, a 60-year-old man, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The party, One Nation, said the man was one of its volunteers.

One Nation's federal leader, Pauline Hanson, and its Victorian deputy leader, Colleen Harkin, were expected to visit the man in hospital on Tuesday morning.

The Hampton Park man was charged with intentionally causing injury and other assault-related offences. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear again on 10 November.

One Nation's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, described the alleged attack on the party volunteer as 'un-Australian and unacceptable'. He alleged the incident began when the man and the boy interfered with One Nation signs on the man's property.

Pickering said: 'Political violence or intimidation against anyone is unacceptable in this country. If you don't like someone's politics, you vote accordingly. You don't assault them.'

Police are also searching for a woman as part of an investigation into an incident involving Liberal MP Georgie Crozier last month. Police said on Tuesday morning that the 62-year-old was handing out flyers with a group of volunteers outside a supermarket on Bay Street in Port Melbourne on 17 October when she was approached by an unknown woman who appeared to be substance affected.

Police said that a short time later a vehicle mounted a gutter near the group, then swerved toward nearby traffic lights and left the scene. Those involved were shaken but not physically injured. Police have released an image of a woman they hope can assist the investigation and are calling for other witnesses to come forward.

MPs in Victoria are on high alert ahead of the 28 November state election, following the alleged attack on federal MP Helen Haines last month.

Last week Victoria's emergency services minister, Paul Edbrooke, told reporters he believed he was being followed and feared for his family's safety after a bullet etched with the word 'RAT' and his former firefighter number was left on his car. Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell and Nationals MP Annabelle Cleeland have also raised concerns about threats.