12-09-2026: The Secret Harbour by-election result in Western Australia (WA) at the end of August was historic, at least in terms of parliamentarist politics. The conservative populist One Nation won their first lower house seat in WA history, taking the seat from the ruling Australian Labor Party (ALP). The One Nation candidate was gym owner Luke Herdegen who won an astonishing 39% of the primary vote with a 30.6% swing. ALP candidate Georgia Tree polled 24.4% and the Liberal Party of Australia (LPA) candidate received 17.3%.[1] One Nation effectively took the seat from the Labor Party in a Labor state, representing a resounding defeat for the ALP. The ALP were not helped by the fact that their candidate was a former Woodside gas corporation intern, who no longer lives in the electorate. This occurred against a popular campaign to impose a 25% tax on gas companies, who literally extract gas from the ground and give it to multinational corporations virtually for free. Woodside donated $12 000 to the ALP campaign in Secret Harbour, or at least that is the amount that has been disclosed.[2]

Both major parties losing seats

Yet One Nation is also taking seats from the conservative Liberal Party. In May, One Nation candidate David Farley won the Farrer by-election, again with 39% of the primary vote. One Nation won with 39.4% of the primary vote, over an independent backed by funding from the ALP front Get Up! With 28%, the Liberals with 12.4% and the Nationals with 9.7%. Farrer has been held by the conservative Liberal/National coalition since federation, and this is now One Nation’s first federal lower house seat.[3] Like it or not, One Nation is now the most popular political party in Australia, gaining almost 40% of primary votes, polling at 30% support generally, and is easily taking parliamentary seats from both major parties. The upcoming Victorian election in November will be very interesting, with One Nation poised to potentially form a coalition government in that state with the Liberal Party. With leader Pauline Hanson forming a close relationship with billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart, who has “donated” an entire plane to the party and funded trips to the US,[4] One Nation’s rise at this point seems set to continue.

There are a number of factors which is leading to the inimitable rise of One Nation. Firstly, neoliberal capitalism in Australia over 35 years has resulted in a collapse of support for the major parties, who many see as part of the problem. Secondly, the cost-of-living crisis in Australia is at levels that have never previously been experienced. Housing costs are extremely high, if not unaffordable, even for many with full-time work. Rent, basic food, utility bills and health and education costs are more expensive now than at any time in recollection. The cost-of-living crisis exploded as part of the Covid reign of terror, where political repression was used to partially close down sections of the economy which drove many to ruin, but enriched a handful of big corporations. The Australian government’s subservience to US imperialism has meant that it has enthusiastically endorsed and participated in multiple wars and invasions throughout the Middle East, leading to scapegoating of Muslims and other minorities. The stumbling economy has resulted in large immigration numbers, providing another easy scapegoat for One Nation barbs.

 “Left” contributes to One Nation’s rise

The rise of the populist right-wing One Nation as Australia’s most popular political party is ringing huge alarm bells for the left. Yet the paradox remains that many of the antics of the ostensible left have contributed to the surge in support amongst the masses for One Nation. For one thing, the Union movement has effectively remained as wedded to the Labor Party as it ever has been over the last 150 years, even despite the ALP’s ever more right-wing trajectory. Sometimes ALP influence in the Unions is explicit, but often it is not outwardly stated or implicit. However, there are only a few exceptions where Union leaderships have broken away from the ALP. In the absence of a mass socialist party, many workers feel repelled by the ALP, and turn to the right seeking an alternative – any alternative. One Nation, despite voting against minimum wage rises and despite its apparent racism (which is always denied) towards refugees, migrants and minority cultures, it can appear to be some kind of alternative.

Self-described socialist parties have taken the course of attempting to counter-protest One Nation and its leader Pauline Hanson. While this was indeed a correct course of action 30 years ago when Hanson was just starting, today this is counter-productive and is even bolstering support for One Nation. This is especially the case when such groups move to counter-protest an internal branch meeting of One Nation. Doing so opens up the “left” to accusations that it is acting in an inherently undemocratic manner.[5] To be sure, Pauline Hanson’s statement which suggested that “there are no good Muslims”[6] was appalling and should be protested against, in the right form. If One Nation was to hold a rally with demands for Muslims to be deported or be locked out of certain jobs and so on – then this would be a situation where a counter protest would be justified. Yet when the so-called left just engages in “venue chasing” and attempts to counter protest One Nation wherever they appear, it tends to instead bolster One Nation.

The “left” counter-protesting One Nation mindlessly also antagonises workers who are looking for an alternative to the major parties. Such people do not want to be warned away from voting for an alternative, even if a right-wing alternative may not serve their interests. And One Nation today cannot simply be described as “far-right”, much less “fascist”. One Nation’s positions are largely conservative and nationalist, but they are mixed. For example, One Nation partially took a position well to the left of the self-described left during the contrived Covid operation. While almost the entire “left” merged with the capitalist state to help enforce vaccine and facemask mandates, lockdowns and border closures, One Nation at least nominally joined large protests against the suppression of civil rights. They still have a position opposing vaccine mandates,[7] which is one reason for their high level of electoral support today.

March for Australia

One Nation also gains support from disenfranchised workers for its rejection of wokeism and identity politics. The elevation of race, gender, sexuality and ethnic background above seemingly all other factors repels the vast majority from what were once progressive campaigns. Today, even the self-identifying left denies being “woke”, and most even deny any connection to identity politics. Yet its denials are not convincing for many, and so large numbers turn to the likes of One Nation, who are explicit about rejecting it. The vast majority of working people are of course against discrimination in all its varied forms, but when it becomes a central justification for “cancel culture” and culture wars in general, it is inherently problematic. One Nation can go too far in the other direction, but it still benefits from dissociation.

US imperialism’s genocide of Palestine from October 7 onwards should of course have resulted in a sustained protest movement in the West. However, the “left” which led these protests in Australia did so with very limited and skewed politics, which created its own problems. Instead of an anti-war movement against the US Empire and its Israeli sidekick, the “left” fell into defending Palestine almost in a vacuum, disconnected from the rest of the Middle East and the global situation. It defaulted to Palestinian nationalism, which omitted mention of, or apologised for, the Israeli backed terrorist Hamas militia. It was too binary, implying an “evil” Israel against a “good” Palestine. And this was repeated on a weekly basis without changing for two years. Some gained the impression that the “left” was actually in favour of “Islamic terrorism” and were turned away from taking a stand.

The endless Palestinian nationalism displayed without being connected to countering imperialist war drives against Iran, Russia and China in the end resulted in the “March for Australia”. Many saw the “left” as only being concerned about Palestine and nothing else, and so some very right-wing elements began the marches “for Australia” carrying only the Australian flag.[8] Attendees of these marches felt that they were standing up for Australia when the left could not care less for Australia. Many, but not all, who attended these actions strongly support One Nation, providing another pillar of support. Pauline Hanson then pulled a stunt in parliament by wearing an Israeli scarf emblazoned with the Star of David.[9] While this was opportunistic, and while many One Nation supporters would not go so far, the “left” did hand Hanson this photo-op. A better way to campaign in defence of Palestine would have been to back both Palestinian and Israeli workers against the US backed onslaught, while defending Iran and the Global South.

To counter the rise of One Nation, the left needs to offer a genuine political alternative. It needs to counter the relentless cost-of-living disaster, and arguably this should be its main focus. This should be linked to opposition to the imperialist wars raging against Iran and Russia, and being prepared against China, as the wars overseas are an extension of the war at home. The left should reject identity politics in toto, and back all efforts to improve the lot of working people through the Unions and in general. It should reject the scapegoating of migrants while recognising concerns over the housing affordability crisis. It should not denounce those looking to One Nation as “far right”, but instead seek to draw away its supporters into a left-wing challenge to the dead-end of the major parties. Late-stage capitalism provides many opportunities for socialists to build the party working people need.



Workers League

www.redfireonline.com

E: workersleague@protonmail.com

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[1] www.au.headtopics.com/news/one-nation-wins-historic-secret-harbour-byelection-luke-87180075 (09-09-2026)

[2] www.boilingcold.com.au/woodside-tips-in-cash-as-labor-fights-to-get-its-employee-into-parliament/ (09-09-2026)

[3] www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-full-results-from-farrer-from-every-polling-booth-to-2cp- (09-09-2026)

[4] www.theguardian.com/australia-news/ng-interactive/2026/apr/30/gina-rinehart-one-nation-pauline-hanson-donations-ntwnfb (09-09-2026)

[5] www.redfireonline.com/2026/06/20/shutting-down-opponents-does-not-fight-the-right/ (09-09-2026)

[6] www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-18/pauline-hanson-partially-apologises-for-muslim-remarks/106357130 (09-09-2026)

[7] www.onenation.org.au/covid (09-09-2026)

[8] www.redfireonline.com/2025/09/28/march-for-australia-the-left-battles-its-own-creation/ (09-09-2026)

[9] www.onenation.org.au/pauline-hanson-supporting-israel-and-australias-jewish-community (09-09-2026)

Image: Luke Herdegen celebrates One Nation’s win in the Secret Harbour by election in Western Australia. http://www.heraldsun.com.au