Both major parties are right and wrong in their response to One Nation

August 23, 2026 — 3:00am

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Pauline Hanson is high as a kite. Her polling remains at historic levels. Her antics, which used to trigger a few bemused bylines, now lead the news. Her thought bubbles are put to major party politicians as policy positions demanding an answer. Where her wind blows, media follow.

This is causing the Coalition no end of angst. The amazing shrinking establishment party – which until just a few years back held the highly coveted mantle of Natural Party of Government in Australia – now finds itself in a race to put out policy before the headline-grabbing upstart. Competition between the two parties on the right has led to childish accusations of copying.

The Coalition cannot win by indulging this rivalry. And, frankly, it should stop trying. But that’s not an argument to stop worrying and learn to love the orange bomb.

The opportunity Hanson represents for the Coalition is best illustrated by a recent failure to appreciate it. Senator Andrew Bragg’s wide-ranging speech at the National Press Club earlier this month was a reminder that sending new policy ideas above the parapet can be a useful tactic. But you’d rather the shrapnel not land on your side if they get shot down.

The practice is known as political kite-flying. A party sends out a junior backbencher to make a statement, or drops an idea to the media, which they are “said to be considering”. Then it watches how the public and other parties respond. If it’s pilloried, the party disowns the kite, claiming it was........

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