One Nation Surges in Australian Polls, Outperforms Labor in Key States

Pauline Hanson's One Nation party has seen a significant surge in support across Australia, according to recent Newspoll data analyzed for The Australian. The party is leading in Queensland and showing strong performance in New South Wales, challenging the dominance of the Labor and Coalition parties.

In Queensland, One Nation garnered 36 percent of the primary vote, making it the top choice for voters in the state. Labor followed with 25 percent, and the Coalition with 19 percent. When asked about their preferred prime minister, 52 percent of Queenslanders chose Hanson over Labor leader Anthony Albanese.

One Nation's primary vote in New South Wales also surpassed Labor's, reaching 31 percent compared to Labor's 30 percent, and the Coalition's 17 percent. Nationally, One Nation achieved the highest primary support at 30 percent, slightly ahead of Labor at 29 percent, with the Coalition at 19 percent. The Greens secured 13 percent, and other minor parties and independents accounted for 9 percent.

The data reveals a substantial increase in One Nation's support nationwide compared to the same period last year. Support in Queensland rose by 26 percent to 36 percent, in New South Wales by 21 percent to 31 percent, in South Australia by 20 percent to 31 percent, in Western Australia by 18 percent to 29 percent, and in Victoria by 18 percent to 25 percent. During the same timeframe, Labor's primary vote in Queensland dropped by 30 percent to 25 percent.

Nationally, Albanese remains the preferred prime minister, with 56 percent of voters choosing him over Hanson's 44 percent. However, when Coalition leader Angus Taylor was included in the question, Albanese received 46 percent, Hanson 31 percent, and Taylor 23 percent. Hanson was least popular in Victoria, where only 39 percent preferred her as prime minister over Albanese. In a separate comparison between Taylor and Albanese, Taylor was preferred by 44 percent of Victorian voters, compared to 35 percent for Albanese.

Albanese's net approval rating has declined by 21 percent compared to the previous year, standing at -22, with 59 percent of voters dissatisfied with his performance. A senior Coalition source noted that One Nation's growing support poses a threat to several traditionally safe seats in Victoria and New South Wales, ahead of upcoming state elections. The performance in these elections is seen as a key indicator for the Queensland state election scheduled for October 2028, where One Nation has seen its most significant increase in support.