Progressive Groups Rethink Tactics Against One Nation Ahead of the Victorian Election

Union-led training sessions organized by the Trades Hall Council and the progressive advocacy group GetUp have instructed members to stop personally attacking Pauline Hanson or labeling her a racist. Campaigners are instead urged to engage One Nation supporters in one-on-one conversations that address “legitimate economic concerns” before the Victorian election in November. The change follows research by polling firm Redbridge after the Farrer by-election, where ads that linked Hanson and deputy leader Barnaby Joyce to Donald Trump failed to prevent One Nation’s comfortable win.

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The strategy now treats Hanson’s racism as a “sophisticated political device” rather than a character flaw, aiming to expose its policy impact without triggering defensive reactions.

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• Avoid leading with accusations of racism or character attacks.

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• Listen for underlying worries about housing affordability, wages, maternity leave, and other labor-related issues.

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• Resist the urge to fact-check conspiracy theories on the spot; instead, steer the dialogue toward concrete economic topics.

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GetUp told volunteers that “Pauline Hanson is closely tied to Gina Rinehart, and it’s a problem, but it’s not what the research says should be in focus.” Trades Hall’s head, Luke Hilakari, publicly rebuked 23 state Labor MPs for having “zero conversations” with constituents, urging them to “work their ass off” to counter One Nation’s surge. Senior Labor sources, speaking off the record, said the new approach aligns with past lessons that personal attacks on right-wing figures, such as Peter Dutton in earlier federal elections, were unproductive.

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• “For many people, simply ignoring her racism is not going to be possible or desirable,” — Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett, a senior researcher at Trades Hall

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• “Pauline Hanson is closely tied to Gina Rinehart, and it’s a problem, but it’s not what the research says should be in focus,” — GetUp

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• “A nurse on the doorstep can do infinitely more than a legion of cabinet ministers and press secretaries.” — Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett, a senior researcher at Trades Hall

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