One Nation's South Australian Surge Sets Stage for Farrer and Victoria Campaigns
Pauline Hanson has announced that One Nation's "earthquake" results from Saturday's South Australian election will serve as a powerful springboard for its forthcoming campaigns in the upcoming Farrer by-election and Victoria state polls. While Labor secured a landslide victory in South Australia, the minor party captured significant attention by achieving a primary vote of above 22 percent, largely at the expense of the Liberal Party.
Despite this surge in support, the votes had not translated into any Lower House seats for One Nation by Sunday afternoon, with the final seat count expected to take several days to determine. Senator Hanson, however, remained defiant, vowing to leave political "landmines" in South Australia following the party's increased backing.
Hanson's Bold Claims and Future Targets
"They're called One Nation. I suggest you don't step on them because they will explode," Hanson declared. "This is the start of it, and I'm going to go after Farrer (former Federal Opposition leader Sussan Ley's seat) and we're going to look at the State Victorian elections. People are crying out for One Nation. There is a movement."
In South Australia, One Nation leader Cory Bernardi secured an Upper House seat, with projections indicating another party member might join him. Federal MP Barnaby Joyce, who defected to One Nation late last year, argued that the outcome demonstrates the party is now mainstream and rejected allegations that racism fueled its rise.
Liberal Party's Response and Internal Reflections
WA Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson commented that One Nation's performance highlights the struggles of the Liberal Party, which was beaten for first-preference votes by the minor party but will still hold approximately 10 Lower House seats in the new South Australian parliament. "The result really demonstrates how far the Liberal Party have moved from common sense and how far they've moved from representing everyday Australians," Ms Sanderson stated.
Under State leader Ashton Hurn, who had been in the top role for only 103 days, the Liberals sank to their lowest result in South Australian history. The party is expected to reduce its shadow ministry, with at least four seats lost and potentially more pending final vote tallies. On Sunday, Ms Hurn remained optimistic, promising to get the party "back to basics" and insisting it could turn around its fate, similar to Queensland's Premier David Crisafulli.
She emphasized that the Liberals must remain a "centre-right party" and avoid "lurching one way or another" in response to One Nation's growing support. "That's where the Liberal Party belongs," Hurn said. "There'll be a lot of reflections, a lot of analysis over the weeks ahead, but I wouldn't be advocating to lurch one way or another. We've got to stay the course."
Broader Political Implications and Expert Analysis
Senior SA Liberal and Federal frontbencher Anne Ruston echoed this sentiment, telling Sky News that the party historically wins from the centre and needs to rebuild in that direction. "When the Liberal Party or the Coalition has been its strongest is when it's actually operated from the middle," she explained. "When we come from the centre-right is when we win government. So I'm very strongly of the view that we have to govern from the centre."
After his commanding second-term victory, Premier Peter Malinauskas outlined a vision for progressive patriotism in an election-night speech, invoking the bush ethos of Henry Lawson's poem The Duty of Australians. The Labor leader urged the nation to "work together" and remember that "diversity has always been our greatest strength."
Flinders University Associate Professor Rob Manwaring noted that the result indicates Australian politics is "much more fragmented and fluid than it has ever been." The Farrer by-election, triggered by the resignation of Ms Ley, is set for May 9, while the Victorian election is scheduled for late November.
