Australia’s conservative bloc is confronting a new political reality as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation gains traction beyond the fringes.
In the lead-up to last year’s federal election, Coalition strategists hoped preferences from One Nation voters would help defeat Labor in outer-suburban and regional seats. That strategy failed on polling day, with the opposition under Peter Dutton suffering heavy losses.
Nine months on, political analysts say the narrative has shifted. Rising financial stress, voter anger over the cost of living, and deep disillusionment with the major parties are pushing One Nation’s hardline populism into the mainstream.
Pollsters argue this change presents the Coalition with a genuine electoral competitor on the right, rather than a convenient preference partner. Once considered untouchable, Hanson’s party is now attracting voters who feel unheard by Labor and abandoned by the Liberals.
Whether One Nation can convert protest support into lasting parliamentary power remains uncertain. What is clear, experts say, is that Australia’s conservative landscape is being reshaped — and the Coalition can no longer ignore it.
