A majority of Australians approve of Pauline Hanson’s leadership of One Nation, giving her a higher job approval rating than either Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll. The survey found 52% of respondents approved of Hanson’s performance, while 34% disapproved, marking the first time the right-wing populist party has outperformed the Coalition in the poll’s primary vote measure.
The poll, conducted last week among 1,067 Australians, showed Hanson with positive ratings across all age groups, including 48% approval among 18-34-year-olds, 50% among 35-54s, and 58% among those aged 55 and over. Her approval was also strong among both men (56%) and women (49%), and she drew support from 33% of Labor voters, 61% of Coalition voters, and 21% of Greens voters.
By contrast, Albanese’s approval rating stood at 41% with 51% disapproving, while Taylor’s was split at 34% each. Hanson’s highest approval was in Queensland (59%), followed by South Australia (53%), New South Wales (52%), and Victoria (50%).
The Essential poll’s “primary plus” metric placed Labor first on 30%, with One Nation second on 25% and the Coalition third on 24%. This is the first time One Nation has edged ahead of the Coalition in the Essential series, a trend also seen in other published polls such as Newspoll. The party’s rise has continued despite controversies including the employment of convicted rapist Sean Black, Hanson’s comments about Muslims, her burqa stunt in the Senate, and scrutiny over transparency and ties to billionaire Gina Rinehart.
Separately, the poll found Australians increasingly pessimistic about the country’s direction, with 54% saying the nation was on the “wrong track” against 30% saying it was heading in the right direction. Economic confidence has also fallen sharply, with only 14% expecting the economy to improve in the next six months, while 55% expect it to worsen. Essential Media’s executive director, Peter Lewis, noted that “there has been a sharp decline in confidence in the economy over the next six months as the impact of the Iran war bites.”
