They were once the most unthinkable Pauline Hanson voters of all. Now, young people and migrants explain to PETER VAN ONSELEN why they have shifted their vote – to One Nation
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson drew a notably young and ethnically diverse crowd at a campaign event in Pakenham, Victoria, in a sign that the party's support base is broadening ahead of the state election due in November. The visit came a day after One Nation's win in the Secret Harbour state by-election in Western Australia, where candidate Luke Herdegen ousted Labor from a seat it had held since 1989, giving the party its first lower house foothold in that state and a boost of confidence heading into the Victorian campaign.
Attendees included young couples, tradespeople, small business owners and people in their twenties, alongside long-standing supporters such as 68-year-old retired truck driver Gary, who has backed Hanson since the early 2000s. Also present was 23-year-old retail worker Mia, attending her first political event, reflecting a wider trend of younger voters helping lift One Nation's national polling from single figures to roughly level with Labor, according to a Newspoll released the day after the event.
- One Nation drew a young, diverse crowd in Victoria
- Follows party's Secret Harbour by-election win in WA
- Polling shows One Nation nearing parity with Labor nationally