Anthony Albanese uses a single disparaging word to describe Pauline Hanson – as he makes a pitch to her supporters amid One Nation poll surge across the country
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delivered a blunt assessment of Pauline Hanson, labelling her ‘divisive’ and the One Nation voter base as ‘frustrated’ during a rapid-fire interview.
In a short exchange, interviewer Sam Weir put a series of questions to the Prime Minister and asked for one word answers.
Albanese declined to sum up Barnaby Joyce, former Nationals Leader and One Nation defector, in a single word when he spoke on Wednesday at the Herald Sun Future Victoria Forum.
‘You know, I can’t do that in one word,’ he said.
But he suggested that Joyce and Hanson, both known for their strong personalities and being forward in voicing their opinions, would inevitably butt heads.
‘I am just looking forward to Barnaby Joyce versus Pauline Hanson. You know it’s coming,’ he said.
Joyce defected to One Nation in December as the MP for New England and said he would run as a senator for NSW for the party at the next election.
Joyce has described Hanson as a ‘fellow traveller’ and said she had pushed the Coalition into opposing the net-zero emission target and tightening its stance on immigration.
One Nation has recently recorded the highest primary vote in NSW and Victoria state polls
Albanese (pictured) said Pauline Hanson was ‘divisive’ and her supporters were ‘frustrated’
The Prime Minister’s remarks follow polls that show One Nation appearing to have a surge in voter support nationwide, reshaping both federal and state political landscapes.
Recent polling has shown One Nation either leading or in a close first in both New South Wales and Victoria, a historic result for the party.
A recent Roy Morgan poll shows One Nation now leading at the state level in NSW with 30 per cent of the primary vote, ahead of Labor on 25 per cent and the Coalition on 19 per cent.
The result would likely lead to a hung parliament, with the Minns Labor Government already in a minority position.
Victoria displays a similar trend: One Nation is at 26.5 per cent, with Labor at 25.5 per cent and the Coalition on 21.5 per cent, according to polling conducted 13–16 February.
Nationally, One Nation is breaking records, polling above 20 per cent for the first time in its 29-year history and surpassing the combined primary vote of the Liberals and Nationals in multiple surveys.
A Newspoll taken 5–8 February shows One Nation at a record national high of 27 per cent, while the Coalition has fallen to a record low of just 18 per cent.
The dire result for the Coalition was cited as a factor in the removal of former Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, replaced by Angus Taylor.
In the same quick-fire segment, Albanese gave other single-word responses: he described Australia Day as ‘Great’, Grace Tame as ‘Difficult’, and Donald Trump simply as ‘President’.
