Former Liberal minister Christopher Pyne says One Nation is no longer the party it was 25 years ago and is now positioned to perform strongly at future elections.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Christopher Pyne said One Nation had undergone a “stabilisation” after shedding some of its most controversial rhetoric from the 1990s.
Pyne said the party had matured under Pauline Hanson, gaining experience in appealing to Australian voters.
He pointed to the addition of Barnaby Joyce and the presence of four One Nation senators as signs the party had consolidated its position on the right.
Pyne said One Nation had “jettisoned” many of its less palatable public pronouncements, giving it the capacity to perform well electorally.
He also predicted former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi would win a Senate seat in South Australia after announcing he would join the One Nation ticket.
While Pyne said One Nation was unlikely to reach its 1990s electoral highs, he said the party was now a more durable force in Australian politics.
