Newspoll: Pauline Hanson on the rise as Coalition support dives
CROSSBENCH senator Derryn Hinch has traded barbs with Pauline Hanson on Sunrise after One Nation cleaned up in the first Newspoll of the year.
CROSSBENCH senator Derryn Hinch has traded barbs with Pauline Hanson about One Nation’s prospect of leading Australia.
Senator Hanson - whose party garnered eight per cent of the national primary vote in the first Newspoll of the year taken for The Australian, - said it would be a “privilege and honour” if ever she were to become prime minister.
“Pauline may be the leader of One Nation but luckily she’ll never be the leader of the nation,” Senator Hinch fired back when the pair squared off on the Seven Network.
“She’s dedicated, she believes in what she’s doing, but she will not form the opposition or government and that is the fact.”
An unimpressed Senator Hanson “thanked” her crossbench colleague for the vote of confidence.
“I don’t think you’re even on the radar whatsoever with your party,” she said.
“I heard your New Year’s resolution was to get out there and listen to the people so that you know what to support on the floor of parliament.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has copped a belting in the polls, with support for the Coalition collapsing to the lowest level since Tony Abbott was toppled as Prime Minister.
The Newspoll showed the government trailing Labor by 46 to 54 per cent in two-party terms, with support for independents surging from 15 to 19 per cent.
Following Mr Turnbull’s explosive phone call with US President Donald Trump over the refugee deal, the Coalition’s primary vote has tumbled four points over the summer holidays to 35 per cent.
When the poll was taken, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer struggled to pronounce Mr Turnbull’s name, calling him Mr Trumble.
The Australian reports the Coalition’s primary vote last dropped this low two years ago when Mr Abbott decided to give a knighthood to Prince Philip.
When Mr Turnbull challenged Mr Abbott for the leadership in September 2015, the Coalition’s primary vote was 39 per cent.
Senator Hanson recently outlined her blueprint for Australia, which would include forcing newlyweds to have pre-nuptial agreements and changes to the tax system.
“Family law is high on my agenda. It needs court-approved premarital agreements on finance and parental issues,” she told News Corp Australia on Sunday.
The One Nation leader said she’d also cut the number of politicians, limit migration, introduce an Australian identity card, and axe the GST and consider a flat two per cent tax rate if she ran the country.
Senator Hanson said she was thrilled with the result but wasn’t looking to lead the nation just yet.
“I’m humbled by the fact that I’m a senator,” she told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program this morning.
“To be PM, what an honour that would be, it’s a privilege to be the leader of the nation.
“But it is a tough position and I can understand that you can’t please everyone all the time.
“My job now is to represent the people of Queensland and to build the party.
“Maybe one day, let down the track, in 15 or 20 years time, who knows what will happen.”
Fellow crossbencher Derryn Hinch agreed most people were “fed up” with the major parties.
“You see with Brexit, you see it with Trump,” he told Sunrise.
“We are very lucky - because that is happening, the crossbenchers have much more say, more power than we could have ever dreamt.”
But voters aren’t any more impressed by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten or Labor.
According to the Newspoll survey of 1734 people taken from last Thursday to yesterday, the ALP’s primary vote has remained unchanged at 36 per cent since early December.
Mr Shorten’s standing has also deteriorated over the summer break, with satisfaction around his performance down two points to 32 per cent.
Originally published as Newspoll: Pauline Hanson on the rise as Coalition support dives
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