Pauline Hanson and One Nation have made history with the resurgent party polling ahead of Labor for the first time ever. Sunday's Newspoll, commissioned for The Australian, has Hanson's party on 31 per cent of primary votes, one point ahead of Anthony Albanese's government and well ahead of the Coalition on 18 per cent.
Labor remains in the box seat on a two-party preferred basis, however. Albanese returned to government in May last year with an historic 94-seat haul despite a primary vote of just under 35 per cent.
Speculation continues to swirl that Hanson could make a run at a lower house seat, which she would need to do to have any hope of forming government.
The news came as fresh doubts emerge about whether the United States will be able to deliver any submarines to Australia under the AUKUS agreement, despite Albanese standing firm on the controversial military pact. The submarine deal has undergone significant changes since it was first announced. Initially, Australia was promised at least one brand new submarine, before being told they would all be second-hand vessels. Now, growing concerns suggest US shipyards may not be able to build enough new submarines for America's own needs, let alone release second-hand ones for Australia.
Critics of the giant Australia-US-UK military technology pact argue that three or more American submarines earmarked for Australia in the 2030s might ultimately lead the nation into a war with China. 'I don't think we should be buying exquisitely expensive US weapons platforms to invite ourselves to someone else's knife fight,' Greens defence spokesperson David Shoebridge told the ABC, labelling nuclear submarines 'a disaster on pretty much every front.'
Albanese, however, dismissed the concerns during a Sunshine Coast visit where he was promoting his government's urgent care clinics. 'We won't be taking advice on defence from the Greens political party, with respect,' the Prime Minister said. 'It makes sense for an island continent to prioritise our naval fleet.'
Pressure on US shipbuilders has been compounded by President Donald Trump's December announcement to build a so-called Golden Fleet of American battleships. 'They have no chance of doing it,' Shoebridge said.
As doubts grow, the Albanese government is looking to build security partnerships beyond the US. On Sunday night, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles were flying to Europe for talks in Germany, Finland, France and the UK.
