More than half of the One Nation MPs elected to state or federal parliaments have left the party before the end of their term, with 28 of the 51 people elected under Pauline Hanson’s banner either resigning midterm or being expelled.
One Nation, which won 6% of the national vote at the 2025 federal election, is now polling above 30% in some surveys, potentially enough to make the party the official federal opposition or even in a position of minority government.
But Guardian Australia analysis of the party’s colourful candidate history shows the party has a history of chaos and instability.
A timeline of departures
Most One Nation politicians leave the party. More than half of One Nation politicians have either quit the party, were expelled or otherwise left.
The chart shows a full timeline of every One Nation MP and how long they were with the party. It includes those who lost at election, resigned from One Nation, resigned from parliament, had their election invalidated, or were expelled.
Key moments in party history
Pauline Hanson entered politics as a federal Liberal candidate, but was then disendorsed by the party. However, she still contested the seat of Oxley listed under the Liberal party, and won, sitting as an independent until forming One Nation.
In a high-water mark for the party, 11 One Nation members were elected in the 1998 Queensland election. All 11 later resigned or left One Nation. Hanson even quit her own party, as the organisation splintered among infighting, but later rejoined.
Between 2009 and 2015, One Nation had no elected representatives nationally. Hanson rejoined the party in 2013 and renamed the party in 2015 to Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
Resurgence and revolving door
One Nation's resurgence began at the federal double dissolution election in 2016, when Hanson and three colleagues were elected to the Senate, marking One Nation's first federal success since the 90s. A revolving door of controversies and departures followed.
Rod Culleton quit the party then was disqualified from parliament; Malcolm Roberts was found to be a dual citizen; Fraser Anning replaced Roberts, then quit One Nation on his first day in parliament; and Brian Burston defected to the United Australia party, followed by an altercation with Hanson’s chief of staff, James Ashby, in Parliament House.
Other high-profile recruits such as Mark Latham and Tania Mihailuk in the New South Wales parliament have quit. One Nation has had some long-running members; Rosa Lee Long won several terms in the Queensland parliament in the 2000s, while Roberts has been Hanson’s right-hand man since 2016, rejoining parliament in 2019 and winning re-election in 2025.
Record numbers
The party’s numbers have grown to record levels during its recent resurgence, with six members in federal parliament. David Farley became the first person to win a federal lower house seat as a One Nation candidate at the Farrer byelection in May, joining Nationals defector Barnaby Joyce in parliament.
After winning 6% of the vote at the 2025 election, One Nation's polling numbers ballooned from late 2025, to 13% by October and 25% by early 2026. By mid-2026, One Nation was polling about 30% nationally, neck and neck with Labor.
