One Nation overtakes Labor as Australia’s most popular party in shock new poll as Pauline Hanson surges
A new Newspoll survey has found One Nation has again edged ahead of Labor as Australia's most popular party by primary vote, with Pauline Hanson's party on 30 per cent, narrowly ahead of Labor on 29 per cent and the Coalition on 19 per cent. Despite this, Anthony Albanese remains comfortably the preferred prime minister on 46 per cent, well clear of Hanson on 31 per cent and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor on 23 per cent, and Labor still leads on a two-party-preferred basis. The result has unsettled some within Labor, coming just days after One Nation's Luke Herdegen won a landslide by-election victory in Secret Harbour, Western Australia, fuelling debate over whether federal issues such as immigration are driving voters away from the government.
Almost 1,250 voters were polled last week by Pyxis Polling & Insights, before the by-election result. Hanson's personal approval rating has improved to net minus 1, with voters split 47 per cent satisfied to 48 per cent dissatisfied, while Albanese's net rating held at minus 21 and Taylor's stood at minus 17. On two-party-preferred measures, Albanese led Hanson 56–44 and Labor led One Nation 52–48, though a separate Redbridge Group/Accent Research poll put One Nation's primary vote at 28 per cent, just one point behind Labor. Labor figures voiced concern about One Nation's rising influence, while on Sunrise, Tanya Plibersek clashed with Barnaby Joyce's colleague over immigration policy, amid polling showing One Nation far ahead on which party is seen as best able to handle immigration.
- One Nation edges ahead of Labor in primary vote for first time in poll
- Albanese still preferred PM and Labor leads two-party-preferred
- Comes after One Nation's WA by-election win, immigration a key issue
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Australia’s main federal parties include the centre-left Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and the Liberal–National Coalition, the main conservative opposition. One Nation is a smaller party founded and led by Pauline Hanson; it has campaigned on issues including immigration and has gained support in recent polls.
Polls measure voters’ views at a particular time, and different surveys can produce different results. A party’s primary vote is support before preferences are counted; Australia’s preferential voting system means this figure can differ from the result when voters’ later choices are included.
The poll also asks who voters prefer as prime minister and which party they trust on particular issues, measures that can differ from party support. One Nation’s polling matters because its growing support may affect debate within the larger parties and the way they approach issues such as immigration.