Barnett sticks by One Nation after candidate's dark online history revealed

Premier Colin Barnett has reiterated his 'win at all costs' tactic for the state election - refusing to condemn a WA One Nation candidate receiving Liberal preferences who made violent, racist and homophobic comments online.

An exclusive report for Fairfax Media revealed One Nation candidate Richard Eldridge once advocated killing Indonesian journalists and attacked "poofters", Muslims and black people on his now-deactivated Twitter account.

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Mr Eldridge, a real estate agent contesting an upper house seat in the South Metropolitan region of Perth, called Muslims "little sheet heads", derided gay relationships as "poo games" and advocated taking up arms against "extreme Muslims".

He revived his Twitter account on Thursday morning, saying his 2014 comments did not represent his views today.

The Liberal party earlier this week revealed its shock move to preference One Nation over its traditional allies the Nationals, favouring the controversial party in upper house country regions in exchange for support in all lower house seats at the upcoming March 11 state election.

Questioned about One Nation preferences and Mr Eldridge's comments by 6PR Radio's Gareth Parker on Thursday, Premier Barnett doubled down on the strategic benefits of the deal.

"In no way am I endorsing the policies or candidates of the One Nation party," Barnett said, pointing out that the party had evolved between 2006 and 2017.

"State the obvious – government is determined in the lower house where the Liberals are preferencing the Nationals.

"If One Nation get elected to parliament it will be on their first preference vote. And if they get 7 or 8 per cent of the vote they will get some members of Parliament elected into the legislative council. That's going to happen regardless of any preference deal.

"Pauline Hanson is more moderate than she was back in the 90s. (It's) just a mathematical equation, the Liberals best chance of winning. (We) can't sit back and let it all happen."

While Mr Barnett played realpolitik, Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren was far more direct.

"As a society, we show zero tolerance for this kind of language and behaviour in our schools, in our laws and in most institutions, social circles and work places," Ms MacLaren said of Mr Eldridge's historic Twitter comments.

"So we should not accept it for a moment among people who aspire to public office.

"This news about a One Nation candidate is sadly consistent – One Nation is as racist as it always was. It gives the lie to comments by senior Liberals in recent days that One Nation has changed.

"The Liberal Party in WA has sunk to very low depths in announcing it would preference One Nation."

Earlier this week WA One Nation candidate Michelle Myers came under the spotlight after her extraordinary claims the gay community uses Nazi-style mind control to get people to support same sex marriage were revealed.

And the spurned WA Nationals retaliated to the Liberals' preference deal with One Nation by putting the Greens ahead of their alliance partners in two out of three upper house regions.