Albanese slams One Nation as party surges in Australian polls

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticised the right‑wing One Nation party, saying it “pretend[s] they stand for battlers” while receiving planes from Australia’s richest person and donations from wealthy donors. He argued the party opposes key policies such as minimum‑wage increases, childcare support, Medicare expansion and free TAFE.

One Nation has seen a rapid rise in poll numbers after victories in the South Australian election and the Farrer by‑election, and its leader Pauline Hanson recently overtook Albanese as the preferred prime minister in national polling. In her first National Press Club address she called for Australia to be a “monoculture”, pledged to abolish the National Indigenous Australians Agency, end the SBS, and turn the ABC into a subscription service.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, now federal Liberal Party president, has been contacting Liberal members in New South Wales who have defected to One Nation, urging them to stay. Liberal branches in Gilmore and Curl Curl have seen members leave for the populist party.

Commentators also warned that the surge of One Nation reflects deeper flaws in Australia’s electoral system, which they say favours a two‑party model and limits political education, calling for reforms such as increased proportional representation and civic education to curb populist politics.