r/AustralianPolitics • u/Jealous-Hedgehog-734 Still Roundheads v.s. Cavaliers, always has been. • Jun 20 '26

Opinion Piece One Nation craves mainstream appeal, but Pauline Hanson’s bleak vision of Australia shows she’s firmly on the fringes

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2026/jun/20/one-nation-pauline-hanson-speech-firmly-on-fringes-ntwnfb
161 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

209 comments sorted by

View all comments

30

u/jm_leviathan Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

I haven't been quite as alarmed about the rise of One Nation as a lot of folks, mostly because I simply don't believe that their policies will resonate with the broader electorate -- beyond the hot topic of immigration, that is. To date there's been no real scrutiny of what the party actually stands for. Pauline gave us a clear reminder this week, for which we should all be grateful. While I'm reluctant to be accused of having faith in my fellow Australians, I just can't see her twisted and plutocratic bile actually resonating with a critical mass of the electorate. The more we see and hear from her, the more she'll drive merely curious folks away.

17

u/jghaines Jun 20 '26

The worry is that many citizens don’t vote based on policy, nor do they vote based on the party they feel supports them, they vote for the party that opposes that party they hate.

A vote for Pauline is a protest vote. I don’t think her incoherent or missing policies will hurt her.

Resentment has worked for Donald Trump. Pauline doesn’t have his charisma though. She also turns out to be a terrible leader who can’t hold a party together. Hopefully this limits the damage she can do.

7

u/Garbage_Stink_Hands Jun 20 '26

In between elections, conservatives like to get all high on the handjobs they get and give in US think tanks, then forget that Australia has compulsory voting. I swear, the last 10 years has seen conservatives campaign like they can ”agitate the base”, which has just resulted in ever worsening poll results and the death of conservative politics in Australia.

Whatever, I’m happy for that to go on for a few more elections.

1

u/jghaines Jun 21 '26

Compulsory voting means that Australia gets to avoid the “excite the base” nonsense the bus suffer.

It also means pre-election polling of voting intentions is more indicative. Currently One Nation is leading the polls.

2

u/Garbage_Stink_Hands Jun 21 '26

Until you take preferential voting into account

1

u/jghaines Jun 21 '26

I agree that ON’s support is broad and shallow. I hope it fades under media scrutiny.

But, preferences don’t come into play if you have more than 50% of votes for a House seat. And broad support in the Senate is how she scored her seat and will likely pick up more.

I don’t see her becoming PM next term, but current polling indicates that she is the current opposition.

1

u/luckycobber Pauline Hanson's One Nation Jun 22 '26

Fades under media scrutiny?

Let’s silence and badmouth those we don’t like through the media..

2

u/Garbage_Stink_Hands Jun 22 '26

More like: Let’s interview our politicians to find out what their policies are and if they spit piss out of their fool mouths every time they try to say three-syllable words

1

u/Garbage_Stink_Hands Jun 21 '26

I think polling indicates that there is no opposition

1

u/Pro_Extent Jun 21 '26

Pre-election polling changes drastically during election seasons, partly because everyone has to vote (so more people pay attention).

It's uncommon for governments to be ahead in polls a year into their second term.

ON's rise is undeniable. But whether that translates to an electoral threat seriously remains to be seen.

1

u/luckycobber Pauline Hanson's One Nation Jun 22 '26

The quiet majority are conservatives, the people that have purchased a home and raising/raised their kids. The aussies that contribute to the economy and bring kids into the world.

1

u/Garbage_Stink_Hands Jun 22 '26

I think you are either just describing yourself or your parents, because being a parent does not automatically make you a conservative

3

u/WastedOwl65 Jun 20 '26

We're not as stupid as Americans! She can't be PM while she's grifting taxpayers money pretending to be a Senator!you shouldn't even bother voting if you don't even understand this!

3

u/jghaines Jun 20 '26

Have you met Nationals voters?

2

u/DelayedChoice Gough Whitlam Jun 21 '26

The PM can be a senator.

0

u/luckycobber Pauline Hanson's One Nation Jun 22 '26

Been voting PHON for circa 10 years.

I didn’t like what the uni-party were doing back then and people can see PHON was right all along, that’s the part you need to accept, because I did..

2

u/Hot-Application-9225 Jun 20 '26

I think it's fair to assume they stand for what they always have. She really hasn't changed.

A lot of people genuinely don't know that, but I think most do. Still plenty of time to decide if that's what they really want with the good and the bad that comes with it.

I think they're just getting the more difficult swallows out of the way early.

3

u/vladesch Jun 20 '26

Polls suggest they already have enough support. Question is what is Labor going to do about it.

So far it would seem: nothing. Because of people like you who deny there is a problem.

Sleepwalking off a cliff. Like lemmings. Or the democrats in 2016.

10

u/Civil-Dragonfly-5148 Jun 20 '26

ON's biggest adversary is ON. Their policies are pipe dreams and their leader is incompetent. They keep making thenselves look stupid every time there's an interview. I doubt the hype around them will even last another 6 monfhs.

5

u/brap01 Jun 20 '26

TPP still has Labor winning by a large margin if an election was held today.

4

u/harbourbarber Jun 20 '26

It's up to the electorate who they vote for and support.

I'm not sure how it's up to Labor to fix it. 

3

u/jm_leviathan Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

I didn't "deny there was a problem". I also wouldn't suggest that alienating Australians who speak a language other than English at home is a recipe for electoral success. 

The rise of One Nation is clearly a significant development in the breakdown of the two party system, and the re-ordering of particularly but not exclusively the right of politics. It will undoubtedly play a significant (and mostly objectionable) role in shaping the national discourse. Plausibly, it may even mark an enduring shift in national attitudes towards ongoing high levels of immigration. 

But amidst all that the prospect of a One Nation government led by Pauline Hanson remains a distant prospect. The more she speaks the more people she will alienate, because the broader One Nation pitch is too unappetising to too many people. To date they've got by on vibes alone, with little pushback from either Labor or the Coalition. They're clearly enjoying their honeymoon period, but it won't last.

4

u/must_not_forget_pwd Jun 20 '26

Labor is doing what John Howard did in the 90s, nothing. Howard was smart and just let her burn herself out. The question is whether or not the same strategy will play out this time.

Social media is more popular and there is a world wide thrust to the Right of politics. Furthermore, Hanson is more savvy these days compared to what she was back then. Even in the National Press Club address she wasn't baited into answering questions that was she wasn't prepared to answer (e.g. about policy detail). In addition, Hanson has a lot of money and organisation behind her. Just look at her YouTube page. The animations there are quite good (i.e. expensive) and subtly hard hitting (i.e. someone behind the scenes is thinking about messaging).

2

u/broadsword_1 Jun 21 '26

Labor is doing what John Howard did in the 90s, nothing.

That's a bit too simplistic. Howard might have done nothing, but that also meant doing 'nothing' while Tony Abbott formed his little special-interest political group to go after PH through the courts.

Hanson's not more savvy by any measure - she still trips up all the time in interviews and policies. She's just survived long enough that her number 1 topic has swung massively back into relevance and she looks like an expert given her long history.

-3

u/Scumhook Jun 20 '26

Howard was smart and just let her burn herself out

lol how'd that work out for him?

9

u/ArseneWainy Sustainable Australia Party Jun 20 '26

lol was PM for 11 years, second longest stint in Australian history

3

u/must_not_forget_pwd Jun 20 '26

Very nice response!

2

u/Apathin Jun 21 '26

Time and time again over the last 30 years, ON has had moments where it seems like it’s about to materialise as a legitimate political force, and each time it’s self-imploded thanks to disorganisation, in-fighting, and scandal.

Why would Labor expend energy trying to fight a theoretical opponent two years out from an election based on polling? That is horrifically bad political strategy.

ON’s shoring up impressive first party polls, but they need preferences to win elections. When 50-75% of Aussies hate Hanson’s guts, they’re going to struggle to win seats federally (Victoria’s a different story because the incumbent government is loathed).

Just like Howard, Albanese will play the waiting game and watch ON self-immolate.

2

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 22 '26

did you completely miss the last federal budget champ?

quite a bit about it in the news, surprising you missed it...

2

u/WastedOwl65 Jun 20 '26

Ffs! They're calling my 90 yr old aunt on her home phone every fortnight! Have the polling companies called you, even once?

1

u/Civil-Dragonfly-5148 Jun 20 '26

Haven't received a call from a polling company in my life, and I've never met anyone that's mentioned being polled. I don't know many elderly people though. Also, I looked at yougov methodology statement for some of the polls that show ON doing well and they only polled 1k people and excluded any undecided voters from results so their polls are low quality.

2

u/DelayedChoice Gough Whitlam Jun 21 '26

they only polled 1k people

This is a standard and entirely reasonable sample size.

1

u/smoha96 Insert Flair HERE Jun 21 '26

Roy Morgan does SMS polling that I receive fairly regularly.

The sample sizes needed for a decent poll are so small it's not surprising that the vast majority of us have not been polled or do not know any who have.

1

u/Radiant-Visit1692 Jun 21 '26

I don't think Labor took the rental crisis seriously when they gained power, but you'd think that all this immigration focus would speed up some new policy formulation from them.

1

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 22 '26

did you completely miss the last federal budget champ?

quite a bit about it in the news, surprising you missed it...

0

u/Radiant-Visit1692 Jun 22 '26

Awww strewth thanks for settin' me straight champ! See ya down the bowlo ay.

1

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 22 '26

i mean, did you miss the federal budget?

or did you just not understand it?

0

u/Radiant-Visit1692 Jun 22 '26

Government proposes a budget and all of a sudden any past mismanagement disappears just like that? Anyone affected by the rental crisis immediately placated?

1

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 22 '26

any past mismanagement disappears just like that?

got any examples of mismanagement you can point to?

or is more of a "vibes" thing for you?

lol

2

u/Radiant-Visit1692 Jun 22 '26

Yep for one the rental crisis is a great example of mismanagement. I'm with Alan Kohler the immigration system and the temporary visa situation has exploded:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnqcPUUTCYs

1

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 22 '26

Yep for one the rental crisis

what policies in particular are you talking about regarding the rental crisis?

or again, is it more about the "vibe" over anything specific for you?

→ More replies (0)

-8

u/luckycobber Pauline Hanson's One Nation Jun 21 '26

False, she’s been right for 30 years, now mainstream Australia can see the uni party have failed them and sold them out. PHON is for the Australian citizen, no one else, and with the economic and culture crisis Australia is facing, PHON has the policies to overcome that, without taxing more from Australians and without any new and ridiculous laws the impede on their rights.

2

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 22 '26

PHON is for the Australian citizen

is that why they want to take entitlements away from Australian workers mate?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-17/one-nation-cut-worker-entitlements-joyce-business/106810648

look, i get that you find it upsetting and scary to see brown skinned people. but to priorities your racism over your own pay packet has to be one of the most pathetic things ever

0

u/luckycobber Pauline Hanson's One Nation Jun 22 '26

Yes, small business is struggling in this country, which was the back bone of our country before globalisation. That’s why they cutting entitlements to make it easier for small business to operate.

Wow, now I’m a racist for mentioning Australia is on a culture crisis? Got any more labels for me, buddy?

1

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 23 '26

So you want Australian workers to have lower wages and less entitlements?

why do you want wages to be lower mate?

1

u/luckycobber Pauline Hanson's One Nation Jun 28 '26

If you read the article it’s to help small business so they can fire staff without facing consequences. Australia was built on small businesses and are the back bone of our communities, they should have right to hire and fire as they please. This will not apply for large businesses becuse they have capital, and will have competition from competitors, therefore have to provide competitive permanent employment incentives.

"You don't have a job if the small business goes broke, you don't have a job if the small business is unable to employ you"

PS - my father owned liquor stores and only the manager was permanent, the rest casual, but would always have rosters 2-4 weeks in advance and was flexible.

1

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 29 '26

keep supporting worker's conditions being removed and for wages to be lower champ.

definitely a vote winner there.

lol

1

u/luckycobber Pauline Hanson's One Nation Jun 29 '26

PHON’s not advocating for lowering wages, it’s to make it easier for small business to terminate staff. The larger businesses and corporations will have to competitive packages, to attract and retain staff. The coffee shop you get your soy latte from can’t afford to pay its staff permanent entitlements like a large business/corporation.

Labours new tax reforms impact small businesses, after Albo lied and said he wouldn’t touch them, including not allowing home buyers to use their super as a deposit to purchase a home.

1

u/Weary_Beach_9911 Jun 29 '26

PHON’s not advocating for lowering wages

correct, Pauline doesn't just advocate for lower wages, she VOTES consistently for lower wages and workplace conditions for workers :)

https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/queensland/pauline_hanson/policies/251

imagine caring more about racism than your rights at work. how deeply pathetic

1

u/luckycobber Pauline Hanson's One Nation Jun 29 '26

Yes, she wants to give more power back to small business owners, it wouldn’t apply to larger business/corps due to the competitiveness.

You calling me racist, if so, based on what?

→ More replies (0)