One Nation has overtaken the Coalition and is now the second most popular party in Australia, according to major new poll conducted amid leader Pauline Hanson’s fierce opposition to the government’s proposed “hate speech” and gun laws.
The first Newpoll of the year, conducted for The Australian between Monday and Thursday last week, had Pauline Hanson’s party up 7 points to 22% of the primary vote, while the Coalition fell to a record low of 21%, down from 24% in December, with Labor down four points to 32%.
The Greens are on 12%, and other parties on 13%.
The combined major party vote is the lowest since the poll began, but on a two-party preferred basis between Labor and the Coalition, Labor is ahead 55-45 – the same margin as in last year’s federal election.
Mr Albanese’s net approval rating collapsed to -11, but Opposition leader Sussan Ley’s was even worse on -28.
The results come after Ms Hanson recruited former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, and following Mr Albanese and Ms Ley’s polarising responses to the Bondi Islamic terrorist attack.
Ms Hanson also came out strongly against Mr Albanese’s controversial Combatting Anti-Semitism Hate and Extremism Bill, which has since been split in two due to backlash from legal experts, civil libertarians, Christian and Muslim leaders, some Jewish groups, and everyday Australians.
A Resolve Political Monitor poll for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, also conducted last week, showed similar trends but had Labor winning 30% of the primary vote, followed by the Coalition on 28%, One Nation 18%, the Greens on 10%, and others on 14%.
However, One Nation’s result was a poll record, and Resolve political analyst Jim Reed said its rising popularity was a problem for the Labor and Liberal leaders.
“One Nation have taken a big chunk of the Coalition’s base since the election, but since the Bondi massacre they’re also hoovering up votes from Labor too,” he said.
“If this trend continues, we may have to stop referring to them as a minor party.”
Header image: Pauline Hanson (Facebook).
