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Right now, Australia is agog that One Nation is the highest-polling party and talk has turned to Pauline Hanson as Prime Minister.
Former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, who beat One Nation back in the 1990s, has issued a warning: confusing One Nation with the people who vote for it is a serious mistake.
He argues many One Nation supporters are decent, hard-working Australians who feel ignored by the major parties. They’re anxious about rising living costs, job security and how AI will reshape the workforce. Sound familiar?
At heart, they believe Australia is heading in the wrong direction and no one in power is listening.
Beattie says One Nation has tapped into these fears with a powerful scare campaign, blaming immigration for everything from housing prices to electricity costs. However, he argues the party remains “a party of complaint” - offering anger rather than solutions.
He then lays out what the major parties must do to win back trust: deliver a clear, skills-based immigration policy; explain the benefits of multiculturalism; paint a genuine vision for Australia in 2050; prepare workers for an AI-driven economy; back innovation in key industries; invest seriously in regional infrastructure; and provide meaningful, ongoing cost-of-living relief - not one-off handouts.
Doesn’t that sound good? Wouldn’t you like that here?
In fact, it’s advice that could easily be applied here - and heard by our mainstream parties - as supporters drift towards the Māori Party, ACT and New Zealand First, which are also, in many ways, parties of complaint.
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