The surprising figure One Nation supporters back more than anyone apart from Hanson

August 25, 2026 — 5:00am

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One of the most striking findings from the latest research into One Nation voters is who their heroes are.

Their No.1, as you’d expect, is Pauline Hanson with a favourability rating of 95 per cent. But No.2 is not Barnaby Joyce or Donald Trump or any conventional political figure.

It’s Ben Roberts-Smith. The war hero who is awaiting trial for committing war crimes. He’s regarded favourably by nearly seven out of 10 of the people who say they intend to vote One Nation.

He’s never been on any ballot paper and he’s shown no intention of standing for parliament. So why does this matter?

“It tells you a lot about the attitudes of people voting One Nation,” says Bruce Hawker, the Labor Party campaign veteran who led the research.

Roberts-Smith’s favourability is more than double that of Liberal leader Angus Taylor. The exact reasons for Roberts-Smith’s appeal are beyond the scope of the project, in which 1014 intending One Nation........

© The Sydney Morning Herald