Beattie Urges Labor to Counter One Nation After Its 23% Queensland Breakthrough
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 2
Beattie Urges Labor to Counter One Nation After Its 23% Queensland Breakthrough
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 2
Summary
Peter Beattie said Labor and the opposition should stop conflating One Nation with its voters and instead answer the economic anxieties driving the party’s rise, especially cost-of-living pressure, housing concerns and fears over AI-related job losses.
Drawing on Queensland’s 1998 election, when One Nation won seats with 23% of the primary vote, he argued Labor cut its support by meeting voters face-to-face and then tailoring policy to their concerns.
Beattie said a federal response should pair respectful engagement with clearer policy on skilled migration, multiculturalism, regional investment, future jobs, key industries and sustained cost-of-living relief rather than one-off handouts.
He also argued One Nation remains vulnerable because of weak candidates, limited governing experience, scrutiny of its policies and Australia’s preferential voting system, though Barnaby Joyce leading the party could be a game-changer.