Outgoing Labor president Wayne Swan will declare that One Nation, not the Coalition, represents the primary electoral threat to the Labor party. Swan's remarks, to be delivered at the party's 50th National Conference in Adelaide, signal a shift from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's approach of downplaying the popularity of Pauline Hanson's party.
Swan intends to argue that the focus of the Australian right has moved away from the Liberal and National parties and toward One Nation. He plans to point to financial backing for One Nation, including a $1.5 million aircraft purchased by mining magnate Gina Rinehart for Pauline Hanson, as evidence that influential interests have shifted their support. Swan will state that "the money has not gone anywhere. It has only changed horses."
He will characterize the current "culture war" as a facade for this shift, suggesting that powerful individuals are using it to advance their own agendas. Swan is expected to draw parallels between Hanson and former Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, whose attempt to enter federal politics in the late 1980s is seen as a cautionary tale about underestimating populist conservative movements.
This stance diverges from Prime Minister Albanese's earlier comments, which downplayed the electoral threat posed by One Nation. Albanese had previously described Hanson as appealing to "darkest forces" and making a career of dividing Australians. He also suggested that her surge in support would be temporary, referencing Labor's decisive victory in a past election when polls had predicted a closer contest.
Swan's address comes as he prepares to hand over the party presidency to Kate Ellis. Also at the conference, former Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney is expected to defend the campaign for the Voice referendum, maintaining that constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians should remain a long-term national goal despite its defeat. The conference, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, will serve as a key policymaking forum for the Labor party, shaping its strategy and priorities for the government's second term.