Tony Abbott Courts Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Ahead of Australian Election

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, now president of the Liberal Party, has shifted from funding legal actions that contributed to Pauline Hanson’s imprisonment to courting One Nation for preference deals. Abbott’s outreach follows internal party pressure and criticism from Labor, which warns that any alliance with Hanson could undermine workers’ interests. Labor’s Angus Taylor rebuked a fellow Liberal’s suggestion of seat‑sharing with One Nation, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticised the move as a sign of the Coalition’s weakened position ahead of the next election. The debate highlights deepening tensions over how the Coalition will contest seats and whether it will formally cooperate with Hanson’s party.

The controversy also revives Abbott’s earlier tactics, recalling the 1998‑2003 legal campaign that led to Hanson’s conviction for electoral fraud. Critics argue the current preference negotiations betray previous anti‑One Nation stances and could reshape the balance of power in Australian federal politics.