‘A lot riding’ on Pauline Hanson’s press club foray
Analysts say Pauline Hanson’s party is on the verge of a political breakthrough but the popular leader will need to perform at major public events if she is to turn momentum among voters into electoral success.
The One Nation founder will address the National Press Club in Canberra for the first time in his three decades in politics.
Senator Hanson was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996, representing the Queensland seat of Oxley.
He was defeated and voted out of office two years later; He spent almost 20 years unsuccessfully running for parliament before being elected to the Queensland Senate in 2016.
Senator Hanson was re-elected in 2022 and is more than halfway through her six-year term.
Monash University head of politics Zareh Ghazarian said Ms Hanson’s speech was meant to provide an overview of what her party would be like, as well as its broad policies and goals.
“One Nation is at a transition point from being a small anti-establishment party to being on the verge of a potentially major political breakthrough,” he told AAP.
“There is a lot riding on this conversation. It will be watched closely by the media, as well as many other Australians and political parties.
“Hanson must perform well to convince the undecided that his party and its leadership are something to be left behind.”
Consistent polling has shown One Nation becoming Australia’s most popular political party, ahead of the coalition by a significant margin.
Senator Hanson is now the preferred prime minister.
Dr Ghazarian said part of the appeal of authenticity meant voters might be willing to give a leader who wasn’t flashy.
“If his party is to go further, then they must have learned from previous policy missteps, poor discipline, organizational fragility and divisions,” he said.
Labor has struggled to manage the rise of One Nation, portraying the party as the complainant rather than the solution as Australians grapple with the housing crisis and cost-of-living pressures.
The coalition has left the door open to opting for Conservative rivals, but senior Liberals have refused to strike a deal to avoid competing with each other for seats at the next federal election.
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