Can One Nation break through the glass ceiling to the majors?

One Nation has struck a chord with Australians who are sick and tired of the same old Uniparty.

Pauline Hanson is like the Rocky Balboa doll: ‘You can kick it, you can beat it, it does everything. That’s right, takes a terrific beating.’

In my opinion she was Australia’s first political prisoner. Of course, Hanson was exonerated. But you can’t get much more underdog than that.

Hanson has also been consistent. She doesn’t need to say she is a conviction politician (like Albo used to tell us before gaslighting became the new normal). Nothing says conviction more than living by conviction.

In the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes wrote:

One Nation’s polling may or may not have peaked, but in terms of voter share it is up equal to, or ahead of, the two major parties. Will it stay there? Will it crack the ‘glass ceiling’ in actual elections? Michael de Percy thinks so, as One Nation rides the wave of voter dissatisfaction with their major party choices. But with ascension to major party Olympus comes what Pauline Hanson seems to hate – scrutiny. Of ideas, policies and, yes, people. That even includes One Nation people scrutinising other One Nation people, as we’ve seen this week with Barnaby Joyce dissociating himself from certain views of Malcom Roberts. Arguably, One Nation has some political growing-up to do if it aspires to electoral greatness. Being prepared to offer costed policies would be a great start.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

There is a lot of talk about the survival chances of One Nation as a potential major party. Michael de Percy runs through the essential things that Pauline Hanson and her colleagues will have to get right if One Nation is to survive this trial by fire. Are these unfair standards? Probably. But at the moment, all of their political competitors are out to get them.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Can One Nation break through the glass ceiling to the majors?

Green energy turned into Armageddon

Where's my $275 saving on my energy bill, Mr Bowen? That was thousands of dollars ago!

This week, Zen Energy, the company that was touted as the ‘proof of concept’ for Chris Bowen’s green energy dream, went into administration. Bowen’s dream became a nightmare.

The trouble is that the Coalition and One Nation are too busy fighting each other. There is policy gold unfolding all around them, but they have become so myopic they are believing their own fates are reflected in the current polling.

For One Nation, that they are on a collision course with victory.

For the Coalition, that they are done for and they have to do something else because nobody likes conservatism.

All the worst Prime Minister in the history of prime ministers has to do is throw in a mind grenade and the conservatives go into a twist.

Lesson: Don’t do that.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Green energy turned into Armageddon.

Albo’s cold fart warmed up, or Gus’ genuine cool?

As we used to say when we were kids, Albo think's he's hot shit, but he's only cold fart warmed up.

Anthony Albanese stepped off his RAAF jet last October in his jeans with a Joy Division T-shirt stretched across his chest, grinning like he’d just pulled off the greatest larrikin stunt in Australian political cool. The press gallery cooed. Cool statement, they said. The Prime Minister enjoying his ascension, showing he’s still one of the boys.

As we used to say when we were kids, Albo thought he was hot shit. But he was only cold fart warmed up.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Albo’s cold fart warmed up, or Gus’ genuine cool?