Hanson interprets Perth protest as sign of One Nation's growing support in Western Australia
Pauline Hanson's One Nation held sold-out fundraising events in Perth and Melbourne this week, drawing hundreds of anti-racism protesters and a last-minute venue change in Victoria. The events coincided with One Nation claiming to have raised over $1 million through its 'Fire the Liar' campaign targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, amid polls showing the party as Australia's most popular on primary votes. The surge has prompted Labor to issue internal talking points on countering One Nation and raised questions about potential preference deals between One Nation and the Liberal Party ahead of future elections.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson visited Perth on Wednesday for a sold-out $70-per-head sundowner at the Crooked Spire cafe in Midland, where police estimated around 400 protesters — organised by WA Socialists and WA Greens — gathered outside chanting anti-racism slogans. Inside, Hanson told supporters that Labor-held seats were on her 'hit list' and framed One Nation's rise as a response to 'mass migration' and cost-of-living pressures. A Melbourne fundraiser on Friday, with tickets ranging from $200 to $2,000, was forced to change venues at the last minute after the original Moonee Ponds restaurant cancelled; One Nation attributed the change to excess bookings, while protesters followed the event to its new southern location. Hanson, accompanied by One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce, pledged to work with a future Coalition government in Victoria and received a 'rock star' welcome from attendees. The fundraising blitz included a 'Fire the Liar' campaign truck dispatched to the electorates of Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, with One Nation claiming over $1 million raised in a single day, a figure Albanese publicly questioned. Nationally, recent polls have placed One Nation ahead of both Labor and the Coalition on primary votes, prompting Labor to circulate internal talking points describing One Nation as offering 'anger and slogans' rather than solutions, while political strategists identify One Nation's opposition to minimum wage increases and ties to mining billionaire Gina Rinehart as potential vulnerabilities. WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas has indicated openness to preferencing One Nation above Labor in some seats, while WA Premier Roger Cook dismissed the party as offering nothing substantive.
What's missing
The specific polling methodology and sample sizes behind the surveys showing One Nation as Australia's most popular party on primary votes are not detailed in any source, making it difficult to assess the robustness of that finding.
How coverage differed
The ABC and the two Fairfax-aligned outlets (SMH, WAtoday) focused primarily on the Perth protest events and Hanson's statements, presenting a relatively balanced account of both sides. The Guardian and The Conversation took a broader analytical frame, examining Labor's strategic vulnerabilities and internal responses to One Nation's rise, with The Conversation placing particular emphasis on Albanese's broken budget promises as a driver of One Nation's surge — a framing more critical of the government than the news-focused outlets.
What different sources said
- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
Perth MPs in One Nation’s sights hit back as Hanson show leaves town
- WAtodayCenter
Hanson met by protesters as she flies into Perth for sold-out sundowner
Pauline Hanson is becoming a problem for Labor – but her focus on battlers could be her kryptonite
- ABC AustraliaCenter
Breaking: One Nation's Melbourne fundraiser moved over protest concerns
- The AgeCenter
Melbourne venue cancels One Nation fundraiser after protest threats
- The ConversationCenter
Grattan on Friday: Albanese’s broken promises have played into Hanson’s insurgency
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