Pauline Hanson's One Nation
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Pauline Hanson's One Nation (PHON or ONP), also known as One Nation or One Nation Party, is a
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establ ...
political party in Australia. It is led by Pauline Hanson. One Nation had electoral success in the late 1990s, before suffering an extended decline after 2001. Its leaders have been accused, charged, and later acquitted, of fraud, and the party has suffered from numerous defections, resignations and other internal scandals which culminated in Hanson's resignation from the party. One Nation's policies and platform have been much criticized as being racist and
xenophobic Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
. Nevertheless, One Nation has had a profound impact on debates on
multiculturalism The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...
and immigration in Australia. Following Hanson's return as leader and the 2016 federal election, the party gained 4 seats in the Senate, including one for Hanson herself, in Queensland. One Nation was founded in 1997, by
member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
Pauline Hanson and her advisors David Ettridge and David Oldfield after Hanson was disendorsed as a federal candidate for the
Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is a centre-right political party in Australia, one of the two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-left Australian Labor Party. It was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Au ...
. The disendorsement came before the 1996 federal election following comments she made about
Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...
. Oldfield, a Councillor on Manly Council in suburban Sydney and at one time an employee of Liberal minister
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott was born in Londo ...
, was the organisational architect of the party. Hanson sat as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
for one year before forming Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Arguing that other political parties are out of touch with mainstream Australia, One Nation runs on a broadly populist and nationalist platform. It promises to drastically reduce immigration and to abolish "divisive and discriminatory policies ... attached to Aboriginal and multicultural affairs." Condemning multiculturalism as a "threat to the very basis of the Australian culture, identity and shared values". During its inception, One Nation rallied against Liberal government immigration and multicultural policies which, it argued, were leading to "the Asianisation of Australia." The party denounces economic rationalism and globalisation. Adopting strong
protectionist Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...
policies, One Nation advocates the restoration of import
tariffs A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and po ...
, a revival of Australia's
manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
industry, and an increase in support for small business and the rural sector.Charlton, P. 1998. Full Circle. ''
The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northe ...
'', 13 June 1998.


History


1997: One Nation founded

Shortly after being elected to federal parliament, Hanson formed the One Nation party with co-founders David Oldfield and David Ettridge. During the formative days of One Nation, Oldfield was employed Liberal Party backbench MP Tony Abbott as a political advisor. One Nation was launched on 11 April 1997, at an event held in Ipswich, Queensland. The party was officially registered by the
Australian Electoral Commission The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is the independent federal agency in charge of organising, conducting and supervising federal Australian elections, by-elections and referendums. Responsibilities The AEC's main responsibility is to ...
(AEC) on 27 June.


1998: first elections

The
1998 Queensland state election Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 13 June 1998 to elect the 89 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The result of the election was a second consecutive hung parliament, with the Labor Party forming minority ...
produced One Nation's greatest electoral success with the ALP winning 44 seats to be the largest party in the Assembly, the Coalition winning 32 seats and One Nation winning 11 seats. During the campaign polling for One Nation lead to commentators saying One Nation might secure the balance of power in a hung parliament. During the campaign, all three major political parties suffered a decline in voter support due to One Nation having entered the fray. The National Party saw an 11.1% drop in support, their Liberal Party coalition partners lost 6.7% and Labor's vote dropped 4.0%. To the surprise of many pundits, the One Nation Party received 22.7% of the first preference vote, giving them the second largest voter turnout for any party in Queensland during the 1998 election. One Nation drew the majority of its support from regional and rural Queensland, winning 9 of its 11 seats in rural and regional electorates. Subsequently, the One Nation contingent in the Queensland Parliament split, with dissident members forming the rival City-Country Alliance in late 1999. At the 1998 federal election, Hanson contested the new seat of Blair after a redistribution effectively split Oxley in half. Hanson lost to
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
candidate Cameron Thompson, and the One Nation candidate in Oxley lost the seat to ALP candidate
Bernie Ripoll Bernard Fernand Ripoll (born 6 January 1966) is a former Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1998 to 2016, representing the Division of Oxley, Queensland. In 2013, Ripoll was made Shadow M ...
. One Nation candidate Heather Hill was elected as a senator for Queensland. Hill's eligibility to sit as a senator was successfully challenged in '' Sue v Hill'' under the Australian Constitution on the basis that she had failed to renounce her childhood British citizenship, despite being a naturalised Australian citizen. The seat went to the party's Len Harris following a recount. Political scientists Ian McAllister and Clive Bean, in an analysis of the 1998 federal election, found that although it was assumed that One Nation supporters came from a traditionally conservative demographic, instead: Within a year of One Nation's electoral success, 3 of the 11 Queensland MPs elected had quit the party claiming the leadership had too much control over the party.


Internal disputes and claims of corruption

The party was affected by internal divisions and has split several times. Lawsuits involving ex-members did eventually force Hanson to repay approximately $500,000 of public funding won at the 1998 Queensland election amid claims by Abbott that the party was fraudulently registered. Abbott established a trust fund called "Australians for Honest Politics Trust" to help bankroll civil court cases against the Party. The suits alleged that the party was undemocratically constituted in order to concentrate all power in the hands of three people—Hanson, Ettridge and Oldfield (in particular Oldfield)—and that it technically had only two members: Ettridge and Hanson. Even though Hanson's fraud charges were dropped, the Electoral Commission of Queensland never reimbursed Hanson for the monies that they collected from the claim. The first Annual General Meeting of the One Nation party was held in April 1999, which critic Paul Reynolds said demonstrated that One Nation lacked organisation. At the 1999 New South Wales state election, David Oldfield was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council. In October 2000, Hanson expelled Oldfield from the party after a disagreement. His expulsion created even more instability in a party which was constantly embroiled in scandal and internal strife. Oldfield attacked Hanson publicly, saying that "everything including her maiden speech and every word of any consequence that she's said since, has actually been written for her". Oldfield engineered a split within the party, creating
One Nation NSW One Nation NSW was a minor Australian political party that operated exclusively in the state of New South Wales (NSW) from 2000 to 2007. The party was a splinter group of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (PHON). It was a socially conservative ...
, in 2001. The new party took advantage of electoral party registration laws to register itself as a political party under the 'One Nation' name with the NSW electoral commission, and achieved registration in April 2002. At the 2001 Western Australian state election One Nation won three seats in the state, however the party was reduced to three seats the same year at the
2001 Queensland state election An election was held in the Australian state of Queensland on 17 February 2001 to elect the 89 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The result of the election was the return of the Labor Party (ALP) government of Premier Peter Beatti ...
. During the 2001 Australian federal election, the party's vote fell from 9% to 5.5%. Hanson failed in her bid to win a Senate seat from Queensland, despite polling a strong 10% of the primary vote. Hanson also failed to win a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Council.


Electoral fraud charges

In 2001, disendorsed One Nation candidate Terry Sharples accused the party of not having the 500 members needed for registration, and called for the party to be deregistered, which was carried by the Supreme Court. Hanson appealed the verdict but was unsuccessful. Hanson appeared before the Brisbane Magistrates Court to face charges of electoral fraud, that same year. Hanson pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming that she was being subjected to "a political witch-hunt." While court hearings proceeded, Hanson ran for a seat in the NSW Upper House as an independent, but only received 1.9 per cent of the vote. Both Ettridge and Hanson were found guilty of fraudulently registering One Nation and obtaining more than $500,000 from the AEC, in 2003. Crown lawyers accused them both of falsely claiming more than 500 people were party members when they were not truly members. Hanson was sentenced to three years in jail, stating outside the court that the verdict was "Rubbish, I'm not guilty... it's a joke". It was later disclosed that Abbott had been working behind the scenes to take Ettridge and Hanson down, meeting with several disgruntled One Nation members including Sharples. November 6 that same year Hanson was released from prison after successfully appealing her conviction and being acquitted on all counts.


2004–2013: Electoral decline

At the
2004 Queensland state election An election was held in the Australian state of Queensland on 7 February 2004 to elect the 89 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The Labor Party (ALP) government of Premier Peter Beattie won a third term in office, with its large m ...
, One Nation polled less than 5% of the vote and its sole elected representative,
Rosa Lee Long Rosa Therese Lee Long (née Schmid, born 2 October 1945) is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland representing the electorate of Tablelands in Northern Queensland, Australia for the One Nation Party. Lee Long served three ...
, acted as an independent. One Nation attempted to defend its Queensland Senate seat at the 2004 federal election, but lost it (effectively to the National Party). Len Harris's Senate term expired on 30 June 2005. On 8 February 2005, One Nation lost federal party status but was re-registered in time for the 2007 federal election. It still had state parties in Queensland and New South Wales. Subsequently, it created another state party in Western Australia. In the February 2005 Western Australian state election, the One Nation vote collapsed. In the
2006 South Australian state election The state election for the 51st Parliament of South Australia was held in the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of South Australia on 18 March 2006 to elect all members of the South Australian House of Assembly and 11 members ...
, six One Nation candidates stood for the lower house. Their highest levels of the primary vote was 4.1% in the district of Hammond and 2.7% in Goyder, with the other four hovering around 1%. They attracted 0.8% (7559 votes) of the upper house vote. One Nation consequently won no seats in that election. In the
2006 Queensland state election An election was held in the Australian state of Queensland on 9 September 2006 to elect the 89 members of the state's Legislative Assembly, after being announced by Premier Peter Beattie on 15 August 2006. The election saw the incumbent Labor ...
, the party contested four of 89 seats, and its vote collapsed. It suffered a swing of 4.3% to be left with just 0.6% of the vote. Its only remaining seat in the state (and country), Tablelands, was retained with an increased majority by
Rosa Lee Long Rosa Therese Lee Long (née Schmid, born 2 October 1945) is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland representing the electorate of Tablelands in Northern Queensland, Australia for the One Nation Party. Lee Long served three ...
. Tablelands was abolished prior to the
2009 Queensland state election The 2009 Queensland state election was held on 21 March 2009 to elect all 89 members of the Legislative Assembly, a unicameral parliament. The election saw the incumbent Labor government led by Premier Anna Bligh defeat the Liberal National ...
, with Lee Long failing to win the seat of Dalrymple. In the
2012 Queensland state election The 2012 Queensland state election was held on 24 March 2012 to elect all 89 members of the Legislative Assembly, a unicameral parliament. The Labor Party (ALP), led by Premier Anna Bligh, was defeated by the opposition Liberal National P ...
the party unsuccessfully contested six seats. The party received only 2,525 first preference votes (representing 0.1% of the total cast) across the state.


2013–2015: Hanson's return as leader

Hanson rejoined One Nation as a rank-and-file member, in 2013. Later that year she unsuccessfully contested the Senate for
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
at the 2013 federal election. In 2014, Hanson was reappointed as leader by the One Nation executive. She contested the seat of Lockyer for the party at the January 2015 Queensland state election, falling 114 votes short of defeating sitting Liberal National Party member
Ian Rickuss Ian Phillip Rickuss (born 27 July 1954) is an Australian politician. Born in Brisbane, he was a bank clerk and horticulturist before entering politics. In 2004, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the National Party me ...
. In July 2015, Hanson announced that the party was renamed the original "Pauline Hanson's One Nation" and contested in the Senate for Queensland at the 2016 federal election. In the lead up to the 2016 election, Hanson arranged a "Fed Up" tour that began in July 2015 as part of her re-election campaign, flying in a private plane to Rockhampton prior to a Reclaim Australia rally, piloted by James Ashby.


2016–present: return to federal politics

At the 2016 federal election the party polled 4.3% (+3.8) of the nationwide primary vote in the Senate. Only Queensland polled higher for the party than their nationwide percentage − the party polled 9.2% (+8.6) of the primary vote in that state. Pauline Hanson (QLD) and three other One Nation candidates − Malcolm Roberts (QLD), Brian Burston (NSW) and Rod Culleton (WA) were elected to the Senate. Elected to the 3rd Queensland Senate spot, as per convention Hanson is serving a six-year term while the three other One Nation Senators who were elected in the last half of spots were appointed to three-year terms. Culleton was stripped of his seat in January 2017 after he was declared bankrupt. In March 2017, the High Court ruled that Culleton's election to the Senate was invalid in any event because of a criminal conviction in New South Wales. After a court-ordered recount, Culleton was replaced by the second candidate on the WA list, Peter Georgiou.


Resignations, disendorsements and ineligibility

Rod Culleton (WA) left the party in December 2016, after months of legal troubles and party infighting to sit as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
bringing the number of party senators to 3. On 3 February 2017, the High Court of Australia ruled that Culleton's election was invalid due to a conviction for which he was subject to being sentenced at the time of the election, notwithstanding that the conviction was subsequently annulled. The resulting vacancy was filled by a
recount An election recount is a repeat tabulation of votes cast in an election that is used to determine the correctness of an initial count. Recounts will often take place if the initial vote tally during an election is extremely close. Election reco ...
of the votes at the
election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
, which resulted in Peter Georgiou taking the seat and returning the One Nation representation in the Senate to four. During the
2017 Western Australian state election The 2017 Western Australian state election was held on Saturday 11 March 2017 to elect members to the Parliament of Western Australia, including all 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly and all 36 seats in the Legislative Council. The eight-a ...
, several One Nation candidates either quit or were disendorsed. Dane Sorensen provided a copy of the party's Western Australian "candidate agreement" form for this election, which all candidates had to sign. It includes an "administration fee" of $250,000 if an elected candidate subsequently leaves the party. One Nation currently forms a 'conservative bloc' with the Liberal Democratic Party and
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF) is an Australian political party. It primarily advocates for increased funding and services for rural and regional Australia, protecting the right to farm, enhancing commercial and recreational fishi ...
in the Western Australia Legislative Council. On 27 October 2017, the full High Court, as Court of Disputed Returns, ruled that Malcolm Roberts had been ineligible to be elected to the Parliament. On 13 November, Senator
Fraser Anning William Fraser Anning (born 14 October 1949) is an Australian former politician who was a senator for Queensland from November 2017 to June 2019. Anning is known for holding far-right, nativist, and anti-Muslim views, and has been criticised ...
took Roberts' seat after a Senate recount. However, on the same day Anning left the party to become an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
. On 14 June 2018, Senator Brian Burston announced his resignation from the party to sit as an independent, following a month-long clash with Hanson centred around the Turnbull Government's corporate tax cuts, on which Hanson had reversed her position. This reduced the party to two senators, with Hanson remaining the only member of One Nation elected at the 2016 Federal election.


Hanson wears a burqa into the Senate

Hanson drew widespread condemnation when she wore the full Islamic dress into Senate Question Time, before calling for the burqa to be banned in Australia. Audible gasps of shock were heard in the parliament. Liberal party Senator and Attorney-General of Australia, George Brandis condemned Hanson's actions, declaring to the parliament that "To ridicule that community, to drive it into a corner, to mock its religious garments is an appalling thing to do. I would ask you to reflect on that". Senator Brandis received applause and praise from all sides of parliament for his response.


"it is OK to be white"

On 15 October 2018, a Senate motion brought by the party stating "it is OK to be white" was defeated 31–28 in a vote. The government expressed regret at the support the vote received, blaming it to an administrative error in which its senators were mistakenly instructed to vote positively. Critics noted that the phrase " it's OK to be white" has been associated with
white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
rhetoric.


Mark Latham joins One Nation

Former Labor Party leader
Mark Latham Mark William Latham (born 28 February 1961) is an Australian politician and media commentator, currently serving as a member in the New South Wales Legislative Council. He previously served as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and ...
joined the party in November 2018 as leader for New South Wales. He successfully contested a seat in the Legislative Council, winning it in March 2019.


James Ashby controversies

On 22 May 2017, a new scandal arose when a taped conversation between Hanson and political advisor James Ashby was released. The tape showed that Ashby had supported charging One Nation candidates inflated prices for campaign materials. In March 2019, One Nation was the subject of a two-part
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
documentary series asserting that the party was soliciting financial assistance from the National Rifle Association and
Koch Industries Koch Industries, Inc. ( ) is an American privately held multinational conglomerate corporation based in Wichita, Kansas and is the second-largest privately held company in the United States, after Cargill. Its subsidiaries are involved in the ...
in order to change Australian gun control laws. Al Jazeera used an undercover reporter posing as a gun rights advocate. In response, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson condemned the documentary as a "hit piece" by a Qatar government backed news agency and announced that she had filed a complaint with the
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO ) is Australia's national security agency responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically motivated vi ...
. Similar sentiments were echoed by the One Nation officials, James Ashby and Steve Dickson, who were featured in the documentary. In response to the documentary, the
Australian Electoral Commission The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is the independent federal agency in charge of organising, conducting and supervising federal Australian elections, by-elections and referendums. Responsibilities The AEC's main responsibility is to ...
said that none of the activities shown in the documentary violated section 326 of the
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 The ''Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918'' is an Act of the Australian Parliament which continues to be the core legislation governing the conduct of elections in Australia, having been amended on numerous occasions since 1918. The Act was introd ...
since they occurred overseas.


2019 election and Family Court claims

At the May 2019 federal election One Nation polled 5.40% (up 1.12%) for the nationwide Senate primary vote. The party polled higher than their national vote in Queensland, taking 10.27% up 1.08%, of the primary vote in the senate. The PHON
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
candidate for the
Division of O'Connor The Division of O'Connor is an Australian electoral division in the state of Western Australia. It is one of Western Australia's three rural seats, and one of the largest electoral constituencies in the world. Geography Since 1984, federal el ...
, Dean Smith, who won 8.4% (7,252) votes, was in December of the same year a target of recruitment for Neo-Nazi group The Base. In secretly recorded tapes of his "interview" by a recruiter, Smith tells of his hatred of immigrants and his wish to "save the race". He tells the recruiter that he had become "more and more extreme and passionate about my views", and disillusioned with One Nation and the possibility of a political solution. However, he was deemed too great a risk for The Base because of his political profile, so was not admitted into their ranks. Also in 2019, Hanson received widespread condemnation in the Australian media after claiming that domestic violence victims routinely lie to the Family Court. The Law Council of Australia called for the abandonment of a federal parliamentary inquiry into the family law system, citing concerns that the hearings were being used by Hanson for political purposes to undermine domestic violence claims made by women.


2022 elections

In April 2022, it was "formally confirmed" that during the
2022 South Australian state election The 2022 South Australian state election was held on 19 March 2022 to elect members to the 55th Parliament of South Australia. All 47 seats in the House of Assembly (the lower house, whose members were elected at the 2018 election), and half t ...
that One Nation's
Sarah Game Sarah Game is an Australian politician. She has been a member of the South Australian Legislative Council since the 2022 state election, representing Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Before parliament Before her election in 2022, Game had been a v ...
won a seat within the South Australia legislative council (upper house) making history as One Nation first member of SA parliament. In April 2022, Queensland MP
George Christensen George Robert Christensen (born 30 June 1978) is a former Australian politician and former journalist who was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2010 to 2022, as the member of parliament (MP) for the division of Dawson. He ...
who had represented the
division of Dawson The Division of Dawson is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. Geography Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australi ...
for the Liberal National party announced he had joined One Nation with the intention of contesting for the Senate in the upcoming Federal election. One Nation ran 149 candidates in the 2022 federal election; the only seats where they did not are inner Melbourne-based Higgins and the rural Queensland seat of Kennedy, held by
Bob Katter Robert Bellarmine Carl Katter (born 22 May 1945) is an Australian politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1993. He was previously active in Queensland state politics from 1974 to 1992. Katter was a member of the ...
. Hanson's One Nation party has been criticised for running "ghost candidates" in several electorates for the 2022 federal election, who are not campaigning in the lead-up to the election and who have no online presence. Additionally, many do not live in the electorates they are listed as being the candidates for. Despite this, the AEC has said that it is not against the rules. One Nation had promised in the lead-up to the election that it would run candidates in all seats. In December 2022, One Nation got its first Victorian MP with
Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell is a member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Pauline Hanson's One Nation representing the Northern Victoria Region. She was elected in the 2022 Victorian state election. Tyrrell is One Nation's first member of the Vi ...
winning a seat during the
2022 Victorian state election The 2022 Victorian state election was held on Saturday, 26 November 2022 to elect the 60th Parliament of Victoria. All 88 seats in the Legislative Assembly (lower house) and all 40 seats in the Legislative Council (upper house) were up for el ...
within the Victorian legislative council (upper house).


Ideology

One Nation's policies and ideology have been described as based on
ultranationalism Ultranationalism or extreme nationalism is an Extremism, extreme form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains detrimental hegemony, Supremacism, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coerc ...
, populism, and opposition to high levels of immigration. Its policies have been also described as
nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
, national-conservative,
socially conservative Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institution ...
,
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, and
protectionist Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...
. Its political position has been described as right-wing* * and far-right.* * * * * * * * Writer Hans-Georg Betz described One Nation and Pauline Hanson in 2019 as among "the first prominent radical right-wing populist entrepreneurs to mobilize popular resentment against a very specific target — the intellectual elite" and that in the twenty first century where "today’s army of self-styled commentators and pundits summarily dismissing radical right-wing populist voters as uncouth, uneducated plebeians intellectually incapable of understanding the blessings of progressive identity politics, Hanson’s anti-elite rhetoric anno 1996 proved remarkably prescient, if rather tame." Betz also argued that One Nation differs from European right-wing parties by focusing on its own brand of populism which he termed ''Hansonism'' based on Hanson's personality and debates unique to Australian society. Political scientist Ian McAllister argues the current version of One Nation from 2017 does not have much in the way of policy beyond an "anti-establishment stance" while others have argued it has changed to focus its policies on opposition to Islam. In its early years, One Nation's policies were said to be synonymous with opposition to affirmative action for Aboriginal communities. Some key themes of Pauline Hanson’s 1998 maiden speech were opposition to what she said were increasingly high rates of immigration from Asian countries and an argument for economic protectionist policies. Former Australian Prime Minister
Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...
denounced Hanson in a speech in 1996, saying that she projected "the ugly face of racism" and was "dangerously divisive and deeply hurtful to many of her fellow Australians." Hanson and One Nation have disputed accusations of racism and argue that the main parties are out of touch with many Australians on the issues of immigration, asylum seekers and multiculturalism, and have ended up adopting some of the policies One Nation initially called for. Milton Osborne noted in 1999 that research indicated Hanson's initial supporters did not cite immigration as a major reason for their support for One Nation, but instead they were most concerned about economic issues and unemployment. A 2001 study showed that One Nation had extensive informal ties and received endorsements from far-right movements due to the party requiring "the support of those groups in establishing the party and because of a convergence of interests".


Policies


Immigration and asylum

One Nation says that whilst it recognises the positive contributions of immigrants to Australian life, it supports a general reduction in the levels of net migration to "closer to the 20th century average of 70,000", to stabilise population numbers, citing economic, cultural and environmental arguments against mass migration. The party also calls for a travel ban on certain countries, similar to one enacted by the Trump administration in the United States, in order to combat radical Islam and prevent the immigration of people the party argues are more likely to reject Australian values and promote violent extremism. The party also supports making English Australia's official language and supports stronger assimilation of immigrants. One Nation also seeks to withdraw Australia from the United Nations Refugee Convention and is opposed to the UN Global Compact on Migration. Due to these statements, One Nation has been described as anti-Islam.


The economy and employment

One Nation supports a broadly protectionist platform, saying that it would review free trade agreements and revoke any "that are not in Australia's best interest." It is opposed to foreign ownership of Australian agricultural land and businesses. Wishing to prioritise jobs for Australian nationals, it would investigate "the abuse of foreign work visas." One Nation backed the Turnbull Government's controversial 2018 corporate tax cuts.


Domestic policies

The party argues for the introduction of Citizens Initiated Referenda (CIR) and states it will review the salaries and pensions paid to Australian politicians. In 2021, the Senate approved a motion tabled by Pauline Hanson which called on the federal government to reject the teaching of critical race theory in Australian schools. It also supports a ban on wearing the burqa in public spaces. One Nation has backed Hanson's comments regarding downplaying scientific consensus on climate change. During the debate on the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 which would legalize same-sex marriage in Australia, Hanson and other members of One Nation expressed their opposition to same-sex marriage. However, Hanson also stated the party would not take an official stance on same-sex marriage and that One Nation senators would be allowed a free vote on the issue.


Law and order

One Nation claims it will increase rehabilitation facilities for drug addicts and introduce life sentences for drug traffickers, Pauline Hanson has previously voiced her support of medicinal cannabis but strong objection to recreational drug usage and opposition to pill testing. The party supports responsible gun ownership but wants tougher sentences for arms traffickers. The party also supports one law for all Australians and is opposed to any form of sharia law in Australia.


Welfare

One Nation is in favour of a substantial increase in the aged pension and disability support pension. It was reported in 2016 that One Nation had voted with the Liberal government on a number of welfare cuts.


Multinationals

The party would move foreign-owned multinationals out of the corporation tax system and into a transactions based system, saying that too many of them pay no tax on profits made in Australia.


COVID-19 vaccines

Many politicians, commentators and scientists claim that One Nation senators have spread misinformation and conspiracies on the effectiveness and scientific basis of COVID-19 vaccines. One Nation opposes vaccine mandates, but denies being against vaccinations. However, in 2021, One Nation senator Mark Latham said that vaccinated people should be exempt from Sydney's COVID-19 lockdown.


Climate change

One Nation senators are frequent critics of any action on climate change and have called climate science a ‘scam’. One Nation has spread debunked conspiracy theories about climate change not occurring or being part of a plot by the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
.


Electoral results


Federal


New South Wales


Victoria


Queensland


South Australia


Western Australia


Northern Territory


Leaders

Unlike the Queensland State Leadership, the changes of the Federal Leadership of the party were largely undocumented (besides the Hanson terms), due to low media attention and confusion of the name of office titles within the party. This list comprises the leaders, most definite, of the party. In August 2017 the party's constitution was changed, so that Hanson would be party President for as long as she may wish, and to choose her successor, who may also continue until resignation.


Members of parliament


Current MPs


Federal Parliament

File:Pauline Hanson 2017 01 (cropped).jpg, Senator Pauline Hanson (Qld), 2016–present, MP for Oxley (1997–98) File:Malcolm Roberts 2020.jpg, Senator Malcolm Roberts (Qld), 2016–2017, 2019–present


New South Wales

*
Mark Latham Mark William Latham (born 28 February 1961) is an Australian politician and media commentator, currently serving as a member in the New South Wales Legislative Council. He previously served as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and ...
MLC (2019–present) * Rod Roberts MLC (2019–present)


Victoria

*
Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell is a member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Pauline Hanson's One Nation representing the Northern Victoria Region. She was elected in the 2022 Victorian state election. Tyrrell is One Nation's first member of the Vi ...
MLC (2022–present)


Queensland

* Stephen Andrew MLA ( Mirani, 2017–present)


South Australia

*
Sarah Game Sarah Game is an Australian politician. She has been a member of the South Australian Legislative Council since the 2022 state election, representing Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Before parliament Before her election in 2022, Game had been a v ...
MLC (2022–present)


Former MPs


Federal Parliament

*Senator-elect Heather Hill (
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
1998–1999), elected in 1998 and retrospectively disqualified in 1999 after being found ineligibile due to her dual citizenship. *Senator Len Harris (
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
1999–2005), appointed after the disqualification of Heather Hill. *Senator Brian Burston (New South Wales, 2016–2017), elected at the 2016 election). Resigned after falling out with Pauline Hanson and joined the
United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four federal elections in that time, usually governing in coalition with the Country Party. It provided two prim ...
in 2017. *Senator Rod Culleton (Western Australia, 2016), elected at the 2016 election) but retrospectively disqualified after being found to have had a larceny charge in New South Wales at the time of the election. *Senator Peter Georgiou (Western Australia, 2017–2019), appointed after the disqualification of Rod Culleton. *Senator
Fraser Anning William Fraser Anning (born 14 October 1949) is an Australian former politician who was a senator for Queensland from November 2017 to June 2019. Anning is known for holding far-right, nativist, and anti-Muslim views, and has been criticised ...
(Queensland, 2017–2019), appointed after the disqualification of Malcolm Roberts). Anning left the party the same day he was sworn in, later became an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
and then formed his own party Conservative National Party.


New South Wales

* David Oldfield MLC (1999–2007), formed
One Nation NSW One Nation NSW was a minor Australian political party that operated exclusively in the state of New South Wales (NSW) from 2000 to 2007. The party was a splinter group of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (PHON). It was a socially conservative ...
in 2000, but became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 2004.


Queensland

*
Bill Feldman William Patrick Feldman (born 22 February 1958) is a former Australian politician. Born in Kingaroy, Queensland, Feldman was a police officer before entering politics working close with David Dalgleish, having attained the rank of sergeant in ...
MLA ( Caboolture, 1998–2001, formed
City Country Alliance The City Country Alliance (CCA, initially One Nation Queensland) was a short-lived Australian political party, operating exclusively in Queensland, that briefly held six Queensland state parliamentary seats. It was founded in the wake of Pauli ...
in 1999, leader of One Nation in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
from 1998 to 1999) * Jeff Knuth MLA (
Burdekin The Shire of Burdekin is a local government area located in North Queensland, Australia in the Dry Tropics region. The district is located between Townsville and Bowen in the delta of the Burdekin River. It covers an area of , and has existe ...
, 1998–2001; became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 1999, formed Country Party Queensland later that year, and joined the
City Country Alliance The City Country Alliance (CCA, initially One Nation Queensland) was a short-lived Australian political party, operating exclusively in Queensland, that briefly held six Queensland state parliamentary seats. It was founded in the wake of Pauli ...
in 2000, rejoined One Nation in 2014,
parliamentary A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
whip of One Nation from 1998 to 1999) * Dorothy Pratt MLA ( Barambah 1998–2001, later Nanango, 2001–2012, became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 1999) * Harry Black MLA (
Whitsunday Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the H ...
, 1998–2001, joined
City Country Alliance The City Country Alliance (CCA, initially One Nation Queensland) was a short-lived Australian political party, operating exclusively in Queensland, that briefly held six Queensland state parliamentary seats. It was founded in the wake of Pauli ...
in 1999) * David Dalgleish MLA (
Hervey Bay Hervey Bay () is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the bay of the same name open to ...
, 1998–2001, joined
City Country Alliance The City Country Alliance (CCA, initially One Nation Queensland) was a short-lived Australian political party, operating exclusively in Queensland, that briefly held six Queensland state parliamentary seats. It was founded in the wake of Pauli ...
in 1999) * John Kingston MLA ( Maryborough, 1998–2003, became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 1999) *
Shaun Nelson Shaun Christopher Nelson (born 22 March 1973) is an Australian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1998 to 2001, representing the electorate of Tablelands. He was elected as one of 11 MPs of the One Na ...
MLA ( Tablelands, 1998–2001, became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 1999) *
Jack Paff Jack Kelvin Paff (born 11 May 1938) is a former Australian politician. Early life Paff was born in Taree, New South Wales. He served in the Citizens Military Force and rose to the position of sergeant. He was a stationmaster with New South ...
MLA ( Ipswich West, 1998–2001, joined
City Country Alliance The City Country Alliance (CCA, initially One Nation Queensland) was a short-lived Australian political party, operating exclusively in Queensland, that briefly held six Queensland state parliamentary seats. It was founded in the wake of Pauli ...
in 1999) * Peter Prenzler MLA ( Lockyer, 1998–2001, joined
City Country Alliance The City Country Alliance (CCA, initially One Nation Queensland) was a short-lived Australian political party, operating exclusively in Queensland, that briefly held six Queensland state parliamentary seats. It was founded in the wake of Pauli ...
in 1999) * Charles Rappolt MLA ( Mulgrave, 1998) * Ken Turner MLA ( Thuringowa, 1998–2001, became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 1999) *
Bill Flynn William Flynn (13 December 1948 – 11 July 2007) was a South African actor and comedian, perhaps best known for playing Tjokkie. Early life Flynn was born William Frederick Flynn in Cape Town and matriculated from Plumstead High School. He ...
MLA ( Lockyer, 2001–2004, leader of One Nation in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
from 2001 to 2004) * Elisa Roberts MLA (
Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River, which floods Gympie occasionally. The ...
, 2001–2006, became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 2002) *
Rosa Lee Long Rosa Therese Lee Long (née Schmid, born 2 October 1945) is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland representing the electorate of Tablelands in Northern Queensland, Australia for the One Nation Party. Lee Long served three ...
MLA ( Tablelands, 2001–2009, leader of One Nation in Queensland from 2002 to 2009, national leader of One Nation from 2004 to 2013) * Steve Dickson MLA (
Buderim Buderim ( ) is an urban centre on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. It sits on a mountain which overlooks the southern Sunshine Coast communities. In the , the urban area of Buderim had a population of 54,483. The name "Buderim" i ...
, 2017, defected from the Liberal National Party in January 2017)


Western Australia

* John Fischer MLC ( Mining and Pastoral, 2001–2005, became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 2004, leader of One Nation in
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
from 2001 to 2004, national leader of One Nation from 2002 to 2004) * Frank Hough MLC ( Agricultural, 2001–2005, became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 2004, joined New Country Party later that year, leader of One Nation in
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
from 2004 to 2004) * Paddy Embry MLC ( South West, 2001–2005, became an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
in 2003, joined New Country Party in 2004) * Charles Smith MLC ( East Metropolitan, 2017–2019, became an independent in 2019 then joined the Western Australia Party, continuing his service as MLC until 2021). * Colin Tincknell MLC ( South West, 2017–2021) * Robin Scott MLC ( Mining and Pastoral, 2017–2021)


Donors

A 2019 report found that Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party had received over $6,000 in disclosed donations from pro-gun groups during the 2011-2018 period, with concerns these donations threatened to compromise Australia's safety by undermining gun control laws.


See also

* Hansonism *
Conservatism in Australia Conservatism in Australia refers to the political philosophy of conservatism as it has developed in Australia. Politics in Australia has since at least the 1910s been most predominantly a contest between the Australian labour movement and the co ...
* Far-right politics in Australia * True Blue Crew, a far-right group whose members have been involved with Pauline Hanson's One Nation *
Pauline Hanson's One Nation – South Australia Pauline Hanson's One Nation – South Australia, or One Nation – South Australia, is a political party branch of the Pauline Hanson's One Nation party. Officially registered to the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) in September 2021 ...


References


Further reading

* Abbott, Tony; Adams, Phillip; Brett, Judith; Brunton, Ron; Fraser, Malcolm; Goot, Murray; Grattan, Michelle; Kelly, Paul; Kingston, Margo; Lake, Marilyn; McGuinness, P.P.; Reynolds, Henry; Richardson, Graham; Rothwell, Nicolas; Sheridan, Greg; Wooldridge, Michael; (1998), ''Two Nations. The Causes and Effects of the Rise of the One Nation Party in Australia'', Bookman Press, Melbourne (Victoria) . * Balson, Scott (2000), ''Inside One Nation. The inside story on a people's party born to fail'', Interactive Presentations, Mt Crosby News, Queensland. . * Campbell, Graeme and Uhlmann, Mark (1995), ''Australia Betrayed. How Australian democracy has been undermined and our naive trust betrayed'', Foundation Press, Victoria Park, Western Australia. . * Davis, Rex and Stimson, Robert (1998), 'Disillusionment and disenchantment at the fringe: explaining the geography of the One Nation Party vote at the Queensland election,' ''People and Place'', Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 69–82. * Dodd, Helen J (1997). ''Pauline. The Hanson Phenomenon'', Boolarong Press, Moorooka, Queensland. . * Ettridge, David (2004), ''Consider Your Verdict'', New Holland Publishers, Frenchs Forest, New South Wales. . * Grant, Bligh (ed.) (1997), ''Pauline Hanson. One Nation and Australian Politics'', University of New England Press, Armidale, New South Wales. . * Hanson, Pauline (2007), ''Untamed and Unashamed – Pauline Hanson's autobiography'', Jo-Jo Publishing, Docklands, Victoria. . * Jayasuriya, Laksiri and Pookong, Kee (1999), ''The Asianisation of Australia? Some Facts about the Myths'', Melbourne University Press, Carlton South, Victoria. * Jupp, James (1998), 'Populism in the land of Oz,' in
Meanjin ''Meanjin'' (), formerly ''Meanjin Papers'' and ''Meanjin Quarterly'', is an Australian literary magazine. The name is derived from the Turrbal word for the spike of land where the city of Brisbane is located. It was founded in 1940 in Brisbane ...
, Vol.57, No.4, pp. 740–747. * Kingston, Margo (1999), ''Off the Rails. The Pauline Hanson Trip'', Allen and Unwin, St Leonards, New South Wales. . * Leach, Michael; Stokes, Geoffrey; Ward, Ian; (eds.) (2000), ''The Rise and Fall of One Nation'', University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, Queensland. . * Mackay, Hugh (1999), ''Turning Point. Australians Choosing Their Future'', Pan Macmillan, Sydney, New South Wales, Ch. 24, 'Xenophobia and Politics. Why Hanson was good for us.' . * Merritt, George J (1997), ''Pauline Hanson. The Truth'', St George Publications, Parkholme, South Australia. . * Pasquarelli, John (1998), ''The Pauline Hanson Story by the Man Who Knows'', New Holland Publishers, Frenchs Forest, New South Wales. .


External links


One Nation official website
{{Politics of Australia Political parties established in 1997 Conservative parties in Australia Right-wing politics in Australia Anti-Asian sentiment in Oceania Australian nationalist parties Criticism of multiculturalism Anti-immigration politics in Australia Right-wing populist parties Anti-Islam sentiment in Australia National conservative parties 1997 establishments in Australia Political parties in Queensland Pauline Hanson Climate change denial