One Nation's Electoral Support: Where Does It Come From, What Makes It Different and How Does It Fit?

Abstract

This paper does three things. First, it offers a critique of the academic literature on the One Nation vote, focusing on the limitations of the work of political geographers and the methodological shortcomings of survey researchers. Second, it re-examines data from the 1998 Australian Election Study in order to explore the demographic and attitudinal forces that both drove the One Nation vote and distinguished it from the votes secured by the Labor Party, the Liberal and National parties and the Australian Democrats; this highlights the importance of gender, geography and class, of political alienation and of attitudes to Aborigines and immigration. Third, it suggests that the basis of One Nation's mobilisation did not lie in concerns about economic insecurity so much as in opposition to 'new class' values, particularly around race. In doing so, it challenges common understandings of the Party's constituency and of its distinctiveness.

Federalism and New Party Insurgency in Australia

“…episodes representing periods of excitement in unusually hard times on the part of citizens whose year-in, year-out involvement with political affairs is abnormally weak". This is broadly consistent with the issues raised in the academic debate over the characteristics of One Nation voters and the basis of the party's appeal (Ward, 2000;Goot and Watson, 2001). For some, the issue was economic insecurity prompted by the domestic consequences of globalization (McAllister and Bean, 2000;Mughan et al, 2003), while others explored the salience of race and immigration (Jackman, 1998;Gibson et al, 2002;Mughan and Paxton, 2006).…”

The Changing Type of Minor Party Elected to Parliament: The Case of the Australian Senate from 1949 to 2010

“…It was built around Pauline Hanson, whom the Liberal Party had disendorsed in 1996 following comments she made regarding race and immigration (Gordon 2003). Hanson attracted significant support as an 'anti-system' politician, and quickly created her own party which posed a significant electoral challenge to the major parties, especially the Howard-led Coalition government (Bean 2000;Goot and Watson 2001). 1 The One Nation Party corresponded to the populist-right party type (Hainsworth 2000).…”

“…Like other populist-right politicians, Hanson presented simple proposals to deal with complex policy issues. Moreover, Hanson was a charismatic figure, and her core message resonated with sections of the electorate that felt disenchanted with the policies of the major parties (author interview with Scott Balson 2005; see also Goot and Watson 2001). One Nation, however, won its only Senate seat in Queensland in 1998, when it secured more than a quota in its own right.…”

Perceptions of Australian Cultural Identity among Asian Australians

“…So far, empirical research on Australian ethnic identity has focused on the symbolic and informal maintenance of national boundaries (Bean, 1995;Goot & Watson, 2001;Phillips, 1996Phillips, , 1998Turner, 1994). The study of these symbolic and informal boundaries is primarily concerned with how citizens engage in the exclusion of the 'other'.…”