The Owl spoke to party leaders and independents about their views on One Nation.
Pauline Hanson’s right-wing populist party might seem out of place in generally left-leaning Canberra, but support in the region seems to be growing.
The popularity of One Nation in recent years has disrupted the nature of Australian politics.
Recent wins in both the Farrer and Secret Harbour by-elections and the South Australian state election, chart the party’s meteoric rise.
Hanson’s party has never held seats in the ACT Legislative Assembly, but that could all change at the 2028 territory election.
Growing support for One Nation
One Nation held a launch event for their new Canberra branch in November 2025. Federal senators Sean Bell and Tyron Whitten attended the event.
Pauline Hanson’s first National Press Club address in June was marred by controversy. The One Nation leader took aim at the major parties, immigration rates and the media.
During the address, Hanson also took some time to briefly discuss the new ACT One Nation branch.
“We’ve got strong support in Canberra.” she claimed.
Hanson went on to say that whenever she visited historic Canberra pub, the Kingston Hotel, she was regularly stopped by people that are “really pleased to see me [her]”.
One Nation in the ACT
One Nation has yet to announce any candidates for federal or territory seats in the ACT.
However, polling from July predicts a 14% swing in support of One Nation since the 2024 territory election.
The DemosAU polling also indicates swings away from the major parties (as well as the ACT Greens), in support of independents and One Nation. These numbers are indicative of a broader trend, seeing many voters moving away from the two party system.
The ACT is one of the most progressive jurisdictions in the country. In previous elections, conservative third parties have struggled to take seats in the Assembly.
Family First ran 11 candidates across all five electorates in the 2024 election. The party failed to secure any seats, receiving just 2.4% of the vote.
But with One Nation polling higher than the ACT Greens, if an election were to happen today, a One Nation member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) appears likely.
Read about independents in the ACT here.
What do Canberra’s MLAs make of the rise One Nation?
Chief Minister Andrew Barr believes that the surging popularity of One Nation is not unique to Australia.
Barr says it reflects the rise of populist, far right parties in liberal democracies globally.
This is a sentiment shared by Leader of the Opposition Mark Parton, who highlighted the rise of German party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
Discussing the nature of these parties, One Nation in particular, Parton said:
“They make a big noise and they’ve come to the table banging the table.
“They’ve captured the imagination of many.
“So many people feel let down by the system.”
The opposition leader does not believe Hanson’s party, or the federal government’s response to its popularity, have made positive impacts on politics.
“The problem is that it’s dumbed down political discussion.
“We saw that none more so than with the migration policy revealed by Tony Burke from Federal Labor … that was a response to One Nation, which is kind of extraordinary.”
Parton is unsure what the future holds, but noted the party’s historic issues with retaining members.
He referenced the One Nation cohort voted in to the Queensland state government in 1998.
The election saw 11 party members gain seats in parliament, however, by 2000, all 11 MPs had either resigned or left One Nation.
The Chief Minister believes there is a limit to the success of the party.
I think there’s a natural ceiling on their level of support, it’s mostly coming from the conservative side of politics.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr
“There’s always been a section of the community who hasn’t voted for either Labor or Liberal.
“It’s always been there, but it is probably stronger now with the collapse of the Liberal party and Coalition vote.” Barr told the Owl.
For Independent MLA Fiona Carrick, major parties should be doing more for communities to combat the rise of One Nation.
“If the governments don’t look after their communities, they will turn to other things, like One Nation, and that is not a great outcome,” Carrick said.
ACT Greens Leader Jo Clay highlighted what the party’s popularity means for sitting MLAs:
“We’re obviously seeing a lot of interest in One Nation at the moment.
“I think the interest will be lower in the ACT than it is in other places, but it’s still a pretty big challenge.
“It means everybody has to work harder.”
Independent MLA Thomas Emerson believes it is the responsibility of those in government to connect with people who do not feel represented who are considering One Nation “because they’re seeing that the system is not working to improve their lives”.
Would MLAs work with a One Nation member?
All MLAs expressed a willingness to attempt to work with any elected member of the Assembly.
Working with others is the nature of ACT politics.
Majority government has only been held for one term since self government. Every other iteration of ACT government has been either a coalition, or required negotiation with other MLAs.
Both independents shared a similar outlook on working with a One Nation MLA.
Thomas Emerson told the Owl:
“My approach is always to be constructive and collaborative and look for opportunities to pursue joint interests, while being clear about where our views differ.”
Emerson said he would approach a One Nation MLA in the same way.
Fellow independent, Fiona Carrick said:
“I will work with other members of the Assembly when we agree on an issue. If we have a different view, we have a different view.”
Some MLAs expressed that they did not feel there would be many policy points where their views would align with those of One Nation.
Jo Clay highlighted that the Greens and One Nation have different party values.
I would imagine we wouldn’t have too much in common with extreme conservatives who think taking handouts from billionaires is a great idea.
ACT Greens Leader, Jo Clay
“The Greens are very concerned about integrity.
“We’re very concerned about representing the people and the community and the environment and not having corporate influence.
“I would imagine there would be challenges, but we would always try and work with everybody in parliament,” Clay shared.
Andrew Barr said Labor would have little common ground with One Nation.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr
I can’t envisage there being many issues in which Labor and One Nation would find ourselves on the same side.
However, Barr went on to say he would engage with any elected member of the Assembly.
“Anyone who is elected to the parliament deserves the respect of engagement on issues that come before the parliament.”
If recent voting patterns in other jurisdictions are any indication, One Nation candidates pose the biggest threat to the Canberra Liberals’ vote in 2028.
Mark Parton outlined how his party would approach One Nation.
“Will they play a role in the ACT? Yeah probably. I’m assuming they’ll run candidates here,” Parton expressed.
We’re not going to be hyper focused on, you know, any potential crossbench members.
Leader of the Opposition, Mark Parton
Halfway between elections, the future of ACT politics seems uncertain.
Only time will tell what role One Nation will play in the Legislative Assembly.
Watch the Owl’s full video feature on the changing face of ACT politics.
by Maeve Hallett, Alison Kennelly, Tobias Ostini, & Ben Devlin