PM shrugs off ‘milestone’ moment as Pauline Hanson claims he’s ‘scared’
Updated . First published at
Pauline Hanson is celebrating a “milestone” new poll showing her as Australia’s preferred prime minister, but incumbent Anthony Albanese has brushed off the results.
The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age’s Resolve poll yesterday found One Nation was leading the primary vote for the first time at 29 per cent while Labor’s vote slipped to 28 per cent and the Coalition’s fell to 20 per cent.
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson speaks to reporters after touching down at Sydney Airport on June 15. 9News
It comes days after One Nation’s successful anti-Labor fundraising raised more than $4 million.
Today, Hanson declared that “Labor are scared” during a short doorstop after touching down in Sydney.
“It is a milestone. I’m so appreciative of the support from the Australian public, but let’s keep our feet on the ground,” she told reporters.
“The prime minister has had a wake-up call, especially with the ‘Fire the Liar’ fund that we’ve put out.”
Albanese shrugged off the “liar” label and suggested the polls were not a true indicator of how parties will perform at the ballot box, saying some had falsely claimed former opposition leader Peter Dutton could have won the last election.
“I talk about what I’m doing to deliver for Australians, and don’t engage in the sort of personalised politics that we are seeing,” he told reporters.
“We’re continuing to act. People are under pressure. We understand that it’s easy to identify grievance, the issue is providing solutions.”
Albanese last week asked for proof that Hanson actually raised millions as Labor asked supporters for donations to stop the rise in One Nation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a press conference in Canberra on May 15. Alex Ellinghausen
Hanson vowed to enrol a candidate for every seat in parliament at the next federal election and said her support was only growing when asked about whether she could maintain her recent meteoric support until voters head to the ballot boxes in 2028.
“Since the last election, our support has only grown, and the more that people see of our policies, they understand what we stand for,” she said.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor similarly dismissed Hanson’s surging popularity, which has come at an expense to his own vote.
“Others will talk about politics and ‘Inside-the-Beltway’ stuff. My focus is on the outcomes for Australians,” he told reporters this morning.
“I’m going to be fighting every day all the way to the next election for those people because they are the backbone of this nation.”
Taylor ousted his predecessor, Sussan Ley, in February after the Coalition failed to win back supporters following a historic loss at the last election, but voters have only continued to abandon them for One Nation.
Hanson told reporters this morning that the Coalition was not understanding voters.
“Contemplative politics has been buried. We’ve listened too much to the ideology, the woke agenda, everything that’s happening. People want change,” she said.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has fallen behind Labor and One Nation. Sitthixay Ditthavong
Both the Coalition and One Nation have left the door open to working with each other to boot Labor at the next election, although details on the plan are scarce and there have been varying statements.
Taylor was forced to walk back comments from his frontbencher, Tony Pasin, who told The Australian on Thursday the Coalition and One Nation should divide up seats between each other.
Albanese, in response to the “extraordinary” call, said last week his opponents had become a fringe party and had almost given up two years ahead of the election.
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