Hanson loses support amid ‘monoculture’ claims, parental paid leave confusion

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has taken her first hit in popularity for some time after more than a week in which her comments on multiculturalism dominated the political agenda.

The Australian Financial Review’s latest monthly AFR/Redbridge Group/Accent Research poll suggested Hanson’s net favourability rating had plunged 10 percentage points and her right-wing populist party also shed supporters.

Labor jumped two percentage points to claim 30 per cent of the primary vote as One Nation fell two points back to 29 per cent and the Coalition dropped another two points to 18 per cent.

All of the shifts were within the margin of error of 3.5 per cent.

The big movements were seen in the popularity of party leaders, particularly Hanson, whose net approval rating fell 10 points to minus 10 per cent. Taylor fell another five points to minus nine and Albanese gained one point to sit at minus 18.

The poll had Labor comfortably leading the Coalition on a two-party-preferred basis but didn’t compare the government and One Nation.

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Albanese’s status as preferred prime minister increased by two percentage points to 33 per cent while just 23 per cent wanted Hanson and 11 per cent opted for Taylor.

Last month’s poll for the outlet was the first to peg One Nation as the most popular party in the country.

That result was followed by several other polls appearing to confirm its growing popularity, including The SydneyMorning Herald and The Age Resolve Political Monitor, which had Hanson (33 per cent) as preferred prime minister over Anthony Albanese (29 per cent) and Angus Taylor (22 per cent).

The surge has brought increased coverage of the formerly fringe party, along with increased scrutiny, particularly of Hanson’s National Press Club address earlier this month and the reaction to it.

Her first appearance at the institution was gatecrashed by protesters as she clashed repeatedly with journalists, called for SBS to be axed and for the ABC to be made a subscription service.

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But the comments that drew the most attention and outrage were her call for Australia, a multicultural nation, to become “monocultural” and criticism of paid parental leave.

The week was dominated by arguments over exactly what monocultural means, including many left-wing and conservative politicians defending the importance of immigrants and their cultures to the fabric of Australia.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor refused to express support for multiculturalism while also declining to back the idea of a monoculture.

On paid parental leave, Hanson questioned why businesses should pay for women when they’re not working, before being forced to clarify there was “no way, shape, or form that I am actually saying to get rid of it”.

Hanson later walked back her statement that suggested she would scrap paid parental leave as Labor accused the One Nation leader of not understanding the policy.

The poll covered a little more than 1000 voters from Monday to Friday last week.