Poll topper Hanson wants to lead Aussies who assimilate
Zac de Silva |
Pauline Hanson says she will represent anyone who assimilates into Australia if she becomes prime minister after One Nation eclipsed Labor in a poll to become the most popular political party in the country.
The proportion of people planning to put One Nation first on their ballot paper has risen four points to 31 per cent, according to a Redbridge Group/Accent Research poll.
Angry voters seeking a candidate who will upset the status quo are turning to Senator Hanson’s populist right-wing movement in large numbers, Redbridge director Tony Barry said.
“There is a very pessimistic outlook amongst voters and that is pushing them towards an anti-establishment candidate or party as their wrecking ball and their truth-teller,” he told AAP.
Labor’s primary vote is at 28 per cent, down three points since the polling firm’s last survey a month ago and the government’s budget released on May 12.
The coalition dropped two points to 20 per cent.
Asked whether she could properly represent all voters given her brand of politics, which has been labelled racist by some, Senator Hanson said she was focused on a unified national identity.
“I can be a prime minister for all those who want to be Australians,” she told Sydney radio station 2GB.
“I expect people, if you’re here in this country and you want to become Australian, then you be Australian and you actually assimilate.”
Labor leads One Nation 51 per cent to 49 on the Redbridge poll’s two-party-preferred basis, calculated by asking respondents how they would direct their preferences.
Senator Hanson said she felt vindicated by the polling but cautioned against drawing too many conclusions until a federal election.
On One Nation’s popularity in migrant communities, Mr Barry said regardless of their background, voters were most concerned about the cost of living and housing availability.
“Her position on immigration is not nearly the most important issue, not by a long way,” he said.
The poll of 1005 voters has a 3.4 per cent margin of error.
It shows Senator Hanson’s net favourability – her approval rating minus her disapproval rating – at zero.
No federal politician in the poll has a positive net favourability rating: the prime minister is on minus 19 while both Liberal leader Angus Taylor and Nationals leader Matt Canavan are on minus four.
Mr Albanese remains the preferred prime minister, with 31 per cent favouring the Labor leader, while Senator Hanson is on 25 per cent and Mr Taylor on 14.
Mr Albanese’s lead on the measure dropped two points and Senator Hanson’s rose by two points while Mr Taylor’s remained unchanged.
With the RedBridge poll putting the coalition in a distant third, frontbencher Tim Wilson said he was focused on ensuring the opposition remained a party of government with a plan of “confidence and hope” for the future of the country.
“That’s our mission and everything else is a distraction,” he told reporters.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged people had genuine concerns about their place in Australia’s economy but said Labor was the best party to deal with those worries.
“The big con on in the three-ringed circus on the right is they want to benefit from people’s legitimate concerns without doing anything about them,” he said.
AAP