One Nation
ONE NATION
10 February 2026
History
Pauline Hanson entered federal parliament at the 1996 federal election, winning the Queensland House of Representatives seat of Oxley. Whilst appearing on the ballot paper as a Liberal candidate she had in fact been disendorsed and took up her seat as an independent. Her early profile in parliament and the media focused heavily on issues of Asian immigration, multiculturalism and dissatisfaction with major-party politics.
One Nation was formed in 1997, with Hanson as its central figure and main public spokesperson. The party’s early growth was rapid, driven by strong name recognition and protest-vote dynamics. One Nation’s first major electoral breakthrough came at the 1998 Queensland state election, where the party won 11 seats in the Legislative Assembly and a substantial share of the statewide vote. Federally, at the 1998 federal election, One Nation won a significant national vote share, about 8.4 per cent in the House of Representatives and achieved Senate representation, even though it did not win any House seats.
However, this period was followed by significant internal instability, marked by disputes, defections, and legal challenges. Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge were convicted of electoral fraud in 2003, with Hanson briefly imprisoned before her conviction was overturned on appeal in 2004. These events contributed to a sharp decline in electoral support and parliamentary presence, culminating in the federal deregistration of the party by the Australian Electoral Commission in 2006.
The mid-2000s to early 2010s saw One Nation maintain a lower national profile with fragmented state-based activities. Pauline Hanson’s return to the party came in 2013 and subsequent reappointment as leader in 2014, initiated a period of re-establishment, leading to the party’s federal re-registration in 2014 and rebranding as ‘Pauline Hanson’s One Nation’. A significant national resurgence occurred at the 2016 federal election, where Hanson regained a Senate seat and the party collectively secured four Senate positions.
However, this period was also characterised by substantial parliamentary turnover and internal strife, with several elected senators leaving or being disqualified. Controversies, such as Hanson’s burqa demonstration in the Senate in 2017 and the party’s “it is OK to be white” motion in 2018, attracted widespread media attention. The 2019 federal election maintained One Nation’s Senate presence, followed by notable gains in state legislatures, including New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. The party took a prominent “No” stance in the 2023 Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum. This period illustrated a recurring One Nation pattern with strong headline results followed by instability in caucus composition.
In 2024 and 2025, One Nation experienced both continuity and change. While the party saw some high-profile resignations from its state parliamentary ranks, it achieved further electoral success at the 2025 Western Australian state election, winning two seats in the Legislative Council. At the 2025 federal election, One Nation recorded its second-best House of Representatives result with 6.4 per cent of the national vote, and secured three additional Senate seats, increasing its federal Senate representation to four.
In December 2025 former Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce formally left the National Party to join One Nation, becoming its sole Member of Parliament in the House for the seat of New England. Formally registered as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation they have also registered the abbreviation of ‘One Nation’.
Since the 2025 federal election major opinion polls show that support for One Nation has increased significantly, to the point where they are level with or out polling the traditional Coalition parties. The two major electoral tests in 2026 will be the South Australian election in March and the Victorian state election in November, with next federal election not due until 2028.
Organisation
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation operates within a highly centralised and personality-driven organisation, a structural characteristic distinguishing it from the major parties. This pronounced centralisation, primarily exercised by its founder Pauline Hanson, determines the operational autonomy and ranked dynamics across both its federal and state-based manifestations.
At the head of One Nation is Pauline Hanson, who holds the simultaneous incumbency of Leader and Chairperson. With the leadership position, vesting in her the authority to retain the presidency indefinitely and to personally designate her successor, cemented by a 2017 constitutional amendment.
Secondary to this leadership, there is a National Executive which undertakes administrative functions, strategic planning and overarching party governance. Nevertheless, the influence and executive autonomy of this body are largely contingent upon the directives issued by Pauline Hanson. The party also maintains a Federal Campaign Directorate.
The Federal Parliamentary Party Room encompasses One Nation’s elected Members of Parliament, currently including Senators Pauline Hanson, Malcolm Roberts, Sean Bell and Tyron Whitten, alongside its sole House of Representatives Member, Barnaby Joyce.
Concurrently, One Nation maintains state divisions or branches across the various Australian states and territories. However, these entities typically function with limited operational autonomy, operating under substantial oversight and direction from the federal executive.
State leadership positions are frequently determined through appointment or strong federal endorsement. Candidate selection and vetting processes at the state level are managed by the central party. Apart from the Queensland Parliament in the term after the 1998 Queensland election, One Nation’s state parliamentary presence has historically been intermittent, often manifested by individual members within legislative councils rather than large parliamentary groupings.
Historic Policy Positions
While the core ideology of the party has remained consistent, the specific policies and targets of One Nation have adapted.
In the 1990s, the platform was an expression of populist sentiment, distinctively targeting Asian immigration and Indigenous affairs. The economic policies were rooted in protectionism, including ideas of a state subsidised ‘people’s bank’ to provide low interest loans, a policy the party has since abandoned.
Following Pauline Hanson’s return to parliament in 2016, the party’s focus shifted. While an anti-immigration theme continued, its primary target pivoted from Asian immigration to focus more on Muslim immigration, with calls for a Royal Commission into Islam.
With the rise in debate over climate change, the party adopted a tone of climate scepticism, and it became a more central and vocal part of their platform. During this period their economic policies began to become more established, focusing on foreign ownership and less on broad protectionist theories.
From 2019 to the present, the party has developed more detailed and specific policy proposals, such as the family tax plan and the pro-nuclear energy stance. The consistent threads of nationalism, sovereignty and cultural populism remain.
At the 2025 election One Nation adopted themes and policies based on re-elected US President Trump’s agenda.
Current Policy Positions
Immigration
From when Pauline Hanson was first elected to the seat of Oxley in 1996 immigration has been central to her political message. One Nation over recent months has continued to associate immigration with the cost of living, including housing supply and wages. The party’s platform is built on the belief that Australia’s borders, culture and identity are under threat from excessive immigration and “globalist” overreach.
They plan to deport 75,000 “illegal migrants”, including those who overstay their visa and are working illegally. This is also the Federal Government’s policy. They plan to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas that would end permanent residency through what they describe as “back door” avenues like skilled workforce and education.
They also plan to refuse visas to migrants from nations known to “foster extremist ideologies that are incompatible with Australian values and way of life”.
Economy and Tax
Slash Government Waste
The party’s economic platform combines fiscal conservatism with populist tax relief. It has outlined a ‘$90 billion Budget Savings Plan’ aimed at eliminating what it describes as rampant government waste, streamlining federal functions, and reforming large-scale programs like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The areas of savings which One Nation have highlighted closely resemble those of US President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
They intend to abolish numerous government departments including the Department of Climate Change and related agencies, programs and regulations. They plan to abolish the National Indigenous Australians Agency. One Nation intend to withdraw from the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and the Paris Agreement.
They plan to conduct a review into the Department of Education and Housing, to abolish the Therapeutic Goods Administration and review which medications are approved on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Foreign Ownership
One Nation has consistently championed economic nationalism. This is most evident in its stringent policies on foreign ownership, which it views as a direct threat to Australian sovereignty and economic independence. One Nation that they intend to pursue reform to Australia’s foreign investment legislation to define ‘National Interest’ based on national security, competition and a character test.
Essential services including power, water, telecommunications, roadways and ports could not be owned by foreign investors. This would extend to housing, with a proposed indefinite ban on foreign investment in residential property, a measure aimed at tackling housing affordability by reducing market competition. One Nation has also stated that they would not allow any foreign ownership of agricultural land and will also “reimplement Foreign Investment Review Board applications on all Agricultural Land from expiring Free Trade Agreements”. One Nation plan to re-establish a government backed rural lending fund to safeguard Australian farmers throughout drought and natural weather events.
Multinational Taxation
One Nation plan to oppose increases to GST and will continue to “maintain our opposition to the reintroduction of death duties and pursue a tax regime that ensures multi-national businesses pay their fair share of tax while operating within Australia”.
Climate Change and Energy
One Nation’s states a commitment to withdrawing from the United Nations Paris Agreement. While they accept that most Australians believe that man-made climate change is real, they believe that this is the result of media coverage and not backed by science. The policy position states that they are the only parliamentary party to consistently question climate science.
Net-Zero
One Nation’s policy designed around the idea that “Australia’s energy policy must keep the lights on, protect Australian jobs and put Australians first”. With a belief that reliable baseload power has been shut down before ready replacements exist and that households are being pushed into expensive technology and costly ‘upgrades’, and that mining, manufacturing and heavy industry are treated as a problem to be managed. Placing blame on the ALP, the Liberal and National Party and the Greens for the development of the ‘net-zero fallacy’, asserting that such policies were designed by discredited computer modelling and the justification for ‘net-zero’ is false.
Energy Cost
One Nation’s energy policy is intended to lower prices for households, businesses and industries include an aim of reducing energy prices by at least 20% and to improving the reliability of power. No timeline has been given for its implementation. One Nation plan to continue subsidising the small-scale renewable energy scheme to help more Australian households and small businesses install solar panels and reduce their electricity costs. They propose banning compulsory installation of smart meters. They otherwise propose to abolish all related agencies, regulations and programs “especially taxpayer and consumer subsidies renewable energy facilities”. They also plan to repeal key ‘net zero’ legislation, including the Climate Change Act 2022, Net Zero Economy Authority Act 2024, and New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Act 2024.
One Nation plan to abolish renewable energy schemes including the Renewable Energy Target (RET), Safeguard Mechanism, Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), and Clean Energy Investment Scheme. One Nation intend to ban offshore wind installations and prohibit renewable energy installations and transmission lines on agricultural land, in native forests, or where they increase bushfire risk. They intend to mandate environmental rehabilitation bonds for all energy projects to ensure companies, not taxpayers, fund the clean-up of sites. They do not support the construction of the proposed Marinus Link interconnector, noting that they believe it will only increase Tasmania’s electricity costs by linking them to renewables based in Victoria.
Coal
One Nation have a plan to build three new black coal ultra-supercritical power plants at previous coal fired power stations in Collinsville QLD, Port Augusta SA and in the Hunter Valey in NSW. This is in addition to extending the lifetime of existing coal-fired power stations in NSW and Queensland.
Gas
One Nation’s ‘Embracing Australian Gas’ supports Australian gas as a key national asset, energy source and vital to the Australian economy and energy sovereignty. They support a domestic gas reserve, with a minimum of 15 per cent of all gas extractions to be provided to the domestic market.
In addition, One Nation will look to place a levy on royalties at the point of production based on volume, not profits and end the moratorium on offshore gas and petroleum exploration.
Nuclear
One Nation has stated that they will overturn the legislated ban on commercial nuclear energy.
Hydro
One Nation supports building new dams and upgrading existing ones, to secure Australia’s water supply for towns, farms and industry.One Nation’s policy advocates extending, upgrading and expanding Tasmania’s hydro scheme as well as the restoration of the Hell’s Gate Dam project.
Forestry
One Nation strongly supports Australian forestry and expanding the plantation forestry estate, wanting the country to be self-sufficient in timber. The policy outlines some key areas they want to support including a summit to develop policies in adopting modular and pre-fabricated timber housing changing National Electricity Market (NEM) rules to favour cheaper coal and gas to reduce electricity costs for timber mills.
Water
One Nation plans to have a national water security strategy to require public investment in water infrastructure to improve Australia’s capacity to store, distribute and eliminate water waste. They intend to do this by restoring water security projects like the $5.4 billion Hells Gate Dam, investment in water-efficient distribution infrastructure in irrigation areas, investment in infrastructure which promotes urban water conservation, establishing a National Water Security Council and eliminating unnecessary prescriptions and fees on those who collect and store water on their own land. They also plan to reform the Murray-Darling Basin of which “One Nation does not support the 3200 GL/year target” and does not support water buybacks and water trading by foreign entities and intend to reverse changes made to the Water Act 2007 and the Basin Plan by restoring the legislated 1500 GL/year cap/limit on buybacks, the 320 GL/year recovery target in the northern Basin by restoring the original socio-economic test for the recovery of the 450 GL/year ‘Water for the Environment Special Account’ introduced by the Gillard Labor Government.
Education
One Nation are concerned with Australia’s continued low ranking in educational outcomes. They intend to restore “critical thinking in the classroom and reinstate the cornerstone of education with reading, writing, arithmetic, and discipline”. They also consider that there should be no “room for Western, white, gender, guilt shaming in any classroom and instead children should be taught the benefits of a merit-based, free-thinking society”. There is no detail on implementation or funding.
Trade
Hanson has previously advocated for the imposition of tariffs to protect Australian jobs by supporting industries like steel and manufacturing, in policies that mirror President Trump’s.
This policy area should be kept under review. Barnaby Joyce MP has made statements to the media since joining One Nation that showed reservations about imposing tariffs and duties on imports, expressing concern that that it ultimately passes on the cost to the consumer.
Health
One Nation policy platform states that the health system was beyond capacity prior to COVID-19 and inadequate in regional and rural areas. One Nation plans to increase the number of regional doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals and have committed to introducing a three-year contract for newly qualified medical professionals and in return their HECS-HELP loans will be paid in full. Currently, doctors who work in remote and rural areas can have up to half of their student debt paid.
One Nation plan on strengthening Medicare by “cracking down on fraud” and funding bulk-billing. Intending to introduce mandatory photo ID for Medicare cards, increase the Medicare rebate to better remunerate GPs and promote bulk billing, ensuring Medicare is properly resourced to investigate and prevent fraudulent claims and support GP clinics. The party notes that this plan “is part of our broader commitment to reducing government waste, lowering costs for Australians, and ensuring taxpayer funds are used efficiently”.
The party opposes COVID-19 vaccine mandates on Australian citizens and continue to push for a Royal Commission into the management of the pandemic.
One Nation supports the use of medical cannabis, seeing it as a “natural, proven alternative for chronic pain relief and other serious health symptoms” and plan to push the cost of access down.
Pro-Life
One Nation plan to reduce the gestational limit for abortions, “ban sex-selective abortion”, implement counselling for those considering having an abortion, support “Medical care for babies born alive during an abortion”, provide anesthetised abortions, restore a “doctor’s full right to a full conscientious objection to abortion”, ban organ harvesting and mandate data reporting.
Family Law and Tax
Family Tax Policy
One Nation plan to introduce of a joint income tax filing system, allowing couples with a dependent child to split their income for tax purposes. This is designed to encourage parents to look after their own children, reducing the cost of childcare on the Government, especially pre-school with an aim to encourage home schooling.
Family Law and Child Support
One Nation believe that children “have a right to have both parents involved in their life if the mother and father are deemed to be fit and able” and that they support the “rights of grandparents when family relationships sour”. They plan to implement a “fairer child support system whereby the children are financially supported, not the ex-partner”. Intending to ensure that the Australian Family Law system discourages court action.
Housing
One of their main policies include a five-year moratorium on charging GST on building materials, which they aim to address “the rising costs of building materials and ensuring more Australians can afford to own a home”.
Firearms
One Nation’s supports “responsible gun ownership” and aim to preserve laws which allow “law abiding citizens” access to firearms for either work, farming or sport.
They believe further measures or regulations are not needed around licensing, instead that stricter border security and tougher sentencing for ‘gun crimes and traffickers’ are required. One Nation voted against the post Bondi gun laws arguing that they unfairly targeted law-abiding gun owners.
Free Speech
Along with the Greens and the Nationals, One Nation also voted against the recent government hate speech laws. One Nation support enshrining the right to free speech in the Constitution to safeguard open debate. They support a referendum to protect free speech and plan to repeal laws or government bodies that restrict it.
One National intend to introduce a Citizens Initiated Referenda to enable “Australian citizens to put forward legislation or a referendum question without waiting for politicians to listen and act”.
Analysis
Since the May 2025 federal election, there has been realignment in support across Australia’s political landscape.
The Australian Financial Review/Redbridge/Accent Research poll (published February 1, 2026), show that One Nation’s primary vote has risen to 26 per cent (up from 17 per cent in December), surpassing the combined primary vote of the former Coalition parties, which has plummeted to a record low of 19 per cent.
There are similar findings from recent Newspoll and Resolve Political Monitor surveys. Newspoll (published February 8, 2026) saw One Nation’s primary vote rise to 27 per cent, an increase of five points over the previous three weeks. The Coalition’s primary vote fell further to 18 per cent (Liberal 15 per cent and the Nationals 3 per cent) from 21 per cent in mid-January. The survey was conducted prior to the announced reunification of Coalition on 8 February 2026.
Redbridge’s analysis indicates that this substantial support is flowing almost exclusively from former Coalition voters. While the National Party’s recent split from the Coalition and ongoing leadership speculation within the Liberal Party are contributing factors, the surge is also attributed to deeper trends (including those across the globe), such as anti-establishment sentiment, a growing lack of confidence in the political system and a perception that the major parties are indistinguishable.
Almost 30 years after her anti-migration maiden speech, Pauline Hanson popularity as a leader has also risen.
Antony Green
Antony Green’s recent analysis (published February 2, 2026) identifies the seats where One Nation’s increased support could be translated into electoral gains. This assessment focuses on electorates where One Nation demonstrated strong performance in the 2025 election, specifically reaching the three-candidate preferred count.
Green notes that in the 2025 election, One Nation reached the final pairing of candidates after preferences in two seats, Dan Repecholi’s seat of Hunter (NSW, Labor) and leader of the Nationals David Littleproud Maranoa (QLD, National). In both instances, One Nation finished third on first preferences but progressed to second place due to preference flows from parties, including Family First, Trumpet of Patriots, Libertarians, Shooters Fishers and Farmers and Gerard Rennick’s People First.
Overall, One Nation was one of the final three candidates in 26 seats during the 2025 preference distribution. Of the 25 seats Green analysed 12 are in Queensland, 6 in NSW, 3 in Victoria, 2 in Western Australia and 1 each in South Australia and Tasmania. Currently of these seats 12 are National held, 7 Liberal and 6 are Labor. Two-thirds are outside capital cities, with the remainder generally in outer metropolitan areas.
The following table, from Antony Green’s analysis, outlines these 25 seats, showing their 2025 winning party and the Three-Candidate Preferred percentages for Labor, the Liberal or National Party and One Nation. The seats at the top of this table, with lower percentages for the winning candidate, represent the most immediate targets for One Nation’s potential gains. This analysis suggests that if One Nation’s current polling translates into the next election, it could significantly impact a wide range of rural and regional seats, predominantly at the expense of the Liberal and National Parties but also challenging Labor in several areas.
One Nation Targets based on Three-Candidate Preferred Count in 2025
| Electorate | State | Held By | LNP (3CP%) | ALP (3CP%) | ONP (3CP%) |
| Wright | QLD | LIB | 37.6 | 35.1 | 27.3 |
| Longman | QLD | LIB | 39.0 | 44.3 | 16.7 |
| Capricornia | QLD | NAT | 39.3 | 38.1 | 22.6 |
| Flynn | QLD | NAT | 41.4 | 33.1 | 25.5 |
| Hinkler | QLD | NAT | 41.9 | 37.5 | 20.6 |
| Wide Bay | QLD | NAT | 43.1 | 36.3 | 20.6 |
| Lindsay | NSW | LIB | 43.9 | 42.8 | 13.2 |
| Canning | WA | LIB | 45.1 | 39.1 | 15.7 |
| Fadden | QLD | LIB | 45.2 | 38.2 | 16.6 |
| Forde | QLD | ALP | 35.8 | 45.7 | 18.5 |
| Parkes | NSW | NAT | 46.8 | 28.9 | 24.3 |
| Dawson | QLD | NAT | 46.9 | 33.1 | 20.1 |
| Hume | NSW | LIB | 48.1 | 37.3 | 14.6 |
| Leichhardt | QLD | ALP | 31.6 | 49.1 | 19.3 |
| Blair | QLD | ALP | 31.3 | 49.2 | 19.5 |
| Riverina | NSW | NAT | 49.9 | 30.2 | 19.9 |
| Braddon | TAS | ALP | 34.9 | 50.5 | 14.6 |
| Nicholls | VIC | NAT | 50.9 | 31.9 | 17.2 |
| Barker | SA | LIB | 53.6 | 31.2 | 15.2 |
| Hunter | NSW | ALP | 22.3 | 54.6 | 23.1 |
| Gippsland | VIC | NAT | 55.4 | 28.1 | 16.4 |
| Mallee | VIC | NAT | 56.2 | 26.9 | 16.9 |
| New England | NSW | NAT | 56.2 | 29.0 | 14.8 |
| Maranoa | QLD | NAT | 57.7 | 21.1 | 21.3 |
| Burt | WA | ALP | 22.9 | 61.0 | 16.1 |
*Source – Antony Green’s Election Blog
Further Information
For more information, please contact Hawker Britton’s Partner and CEO Simon Banks on +61 419 638 587 or Partner John Jarrett on +61 434 384 745.
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