The NSW premier is laser-focused on one political opponent. It’s not the Coalition

July 23, 2026 — 5:00am

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A party headquartered in a nondescript brick building in North Gosford, with no leader, no endorsed candidates and no policies, is already dictating terms in the build-up to the next NSW election.

One Nation is a bit of an enigma in NSW. While Pauline Hanson can’t scratch herself without a Spotlight special, the famously top-down control of the party from its Queensland mothership – and its focus on federal politics – means it has very little presence in the cut and thrust of Macquarie Street.

Although a few candidate Facebook pages have begun to pop up, they are yet to officially endorse anyone, and beyond the obvious – One Nation is unlikely to be a fan of NSW’s Renewable Energy Zones, for example – there is almost nothing voters can point to in terms of concrete policies. One Nation’s branch rules explicitly ban local office holders from making statements to the media. Even if they didn’t, senior figures such as Barnaby Joyce are not always sure what the party’s stance on any given issue will be.

Despite all that, there’s no question that Hanson’s party is wagging the dog.

A One Nation official in Sydney this week has been in back-to-back meetings with industry groups trying to get a read on what the far-right party’s position might be on the myriad state issues........

© The Sydney Morning Herald