Anthony Albanese has stepped up his attacks on One Nation, questioning leader Pauline Hanson’s ability to form vital relationships with other countries.
Asked at a Western Sydney leadership forum about the national support for Socceroos and whether it “makes a farce of the concept that we need to be a monocultural nation” — echoing the debate Senator Hanson sparked at her National Press Club appearance last month — the Prime Minister pivoted to foreign policy credentials.
One of Australia’s greatest assets, especially in areas like western Sydney where he was speaking, was its people.
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“It’s the diaspora, it’s the connections with everywhere in the world, and that’s what makes it easier to do business. That’s what makes it easier to be respected,” Mr Albanese said.
“I mean, during the recent crisis caused by a war, of which we’re not protagonists, on the other side of the world, that had an impact on whether there would be fuel to get goods on the supermarket shelves, and that had an impact on global inflation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gestures during the final sitting day of Parliament Thursday. Credit: LUKAS COCH/AAPIMAGE
“People in politics, including (One Nation MP) Barnaby Joyce, was calling for, saying that there would need to be rationing of fuel in Australia before Easter. That was the call.
“Can you imagine a Pauline Hanson or the chaotic conglomeration that sits opposite us going into Asia and saying we need support from Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, China with jet fuel, Japan, and South Korea? I reckon they probably remember what she has said about them.”
The suggestion Australia could or should be a monoculture “makes a farce of just a reality”, Mr Albanese said, adding that the debate had “never been real”.
“We’re a multicultural nation, it’s who we are, and you know what, we should celebrate it. The Socceroos show that,” he said.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s poor performance during Parliament’s final fortnight before the long winter break started with him tying himself in verbal knots over a similar question.
He’s hoping to capitalise on Mr Albanese’s absence next week by travelling around Australia to — finally — talk about his plan to eliminate bracket creep while the Prime Minister is overseas meeting Pacific leaders.
The Prime Minister’s comments about Senator Hanson come as both major parties grapple with how to deal with the soaring popularity of the minor party.
Several polls over the past week have suggested the shine is starting to come off One Nation for some voters after scrutiny on Senator Hanson’s policy positions.
The shifts in primary votes measured by Newspoll, Redbridge, Roy Morgan and Essential all showed Labor’s vote ticking up, One Nation’s down slightly and the Coalition’s either dropping or steady.
One Nation’s primary vote in the high-20s is still higher than the Coalition’s and nipping at the heels of Labor.
Multiple Labour sources have said it is still working out what’s most effective in winning disaffected former Coalition voters from the minor party.
Highlighting Senator Hanson’s links to US President Donald Trump has proven effective, while the phrase “three right-wing parties” that has been in high rotation in ministerial talking points works against both the Liberals and One Nation.
The Coalition has mixed views on how it should take on — or whether to take on — the party that has won over the bulk of its voters.
Leader of the Opposition Angus Taylor will be hoping to take advantage of Anthony Albanese’s absence. Credit: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
Veteran strategists say they need people to focus on the real possibility of One Nation becoming a party of government, and to combat it with a solid economic offering. Labor sources make similar points in assessing where the Liberals are going wrong.
Senior shadow minister Andrew Hastie has said publicly that he will never “bend the knee” to One Nation and the party would have to blast him out of his seat of Canning.
He continued to strongly combat them this week, saying there was clearly “something wrong” after a poll showed One Nation the most popular party in Victoria ahead of the State election, despite not having any candidates or specific policies.
“This is something of a ghost party at the moment, riding the wave of popular sentiment,” he told Sky News.
“I’m very proud to be a member of the Liberal Party. We have 82 years of political tradition, a great party founded by Robert Menzies.
“But I do think the deeper logic here is that those who are suggesting that somehow we should just hand over the keys to One Nation, or that we would enter into a formal coalition with One Nation, I think that is wrong, and I’m not sure I’d be welcome in such a party, anyhow.”
His frontbench colleague Tony Pasin this week claimed to have been misrepresented — but not misquoted — in an article quoting him saying the Coalition should consider coming to an agreement with One Nation over who contested which seats.
Mr Hastie also cast doubt on the transparency of One Nation’s actions and its targeting of him personally, saying there seemed to be “something orchestrated online in the background. I think there’s money behind it. I don’t know about the source of that money.”
One Nation senator Sean Bell dismissed that accusation and said no one in his party was “particularly focused” on the Canning MP, and bizarrely added that he “appears to be turning into Hillary Clinton before our eyes”.
“Mr Hastie appears to have received a lot of negative feedback for some of his positions, and instead of reflecting on the things he may have said or done, he’s decided to blame some kind of bizarre conspiracy of international influence,” Senator Bell told Sky News.
“If you go around and you attack and you criticise One Nation or people’s politics, and then you’re going to get a response.
“My advice to him would be, go outside, touch grass and stop engaging with what appears to be a coordinated misinformation campaign with the Labor Party to go after One Nation.”
Senator Hanson also told the Coalition they were looking in the wrong place.
“Liberal and Nationals MPs should be focused on defeating Labor rather than attacking One Nation. The enemy is over there,” she posted on social media.
Parliament returns on August 11.
