One Nation

The Rise and Coming Crashing of One Nation.

T

It was bound to happen. The rise of the extreme right has decided to erupt in Australia as it has in the United States and Britain. Monkey see, monkey do. We are not the most original of nations.

Better it be One Nation, a weirdly autocratic political party build around the uncharismatic Pauline Hanson with her “commonsense” views and “fed up” rhetoric. At least we know what were getting after a thirty year gestation with internal division, clashes of dull personalities, contradictions, false starts and the most disloyal set of politicians ever to call themselves a political party. Disloyal to each other, that is.

One Nation is a protest party protesting just about everything deemed unAustralian. This is a bit hard to be protesting as it’s a task to agree on what Australia is now. One Nation tend to wax lyrical a return to a country that never really existed and focusing on a time of brash Australiana and values that, again, are hard to pin down. This seems to be some weird wish to go back 70 years like John Howard wanted to return to. A very dull time indeed.

As expected the extreme right have been pulled to One Nation with hope that, after years of being on the fringes, it will get some sort of electoral credibility. The old forgotten bush is cosying up with neo-Nazis, racists, homophobes and just angry people. Angry more with themselves and their lot in life but it is easier to blame the migrants and transexual agenda than to actually think about the systemic inequality built into economic institutions that minimally rewards those who toe the line.

The hard right is as fractious as the left. The difference is the fascists do not realise it. The coalition currently orbiting One Nation is fragile but quite strong at this precise moment. It is easy to be alarmed with the increase in support in opinion polls but the very loud echo chamber declaring support for “our Pauline”.

But I predict it will come crashing down either through the internal dynamics of the party or through a whopping at an election. The Victorian State Election in November will be a good test considering that the party was at its weakest in this state ever since it appeared in the 1990s.

Pauline herself is likely getting close to the end of her political career with her current term set to end in 2028. The party has been built around her and when she exits, it will need a strong personality like her to keep it together. Barnaby Joyce has too much baggage to be an option. All others are too green or insane (Malcolm Roberts).

Let’s wait and see.