One Nation and Pauline Hanson soften in the polls, but voters blame Albanese rather than the Reserve Bank for cost of living
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sunday that support for One Nation and its leader Pauline Hanson is softening, while voters are blaming the Albanese Government, rather than the Reserve Bank of Australia, for the cost of living. News.com.au ran the finding as “Hanson slips as Labor cops blame”, and The Australian reported on a Newspoll warning Labor that its “spendathon must come to an end”. We did not see the voting-intention figures or the polling dates. The coverage follows the Australian Conservative Political Action Conference in Brisbane, where ABC said Angus Taylor, the first Liberal leader to attend, came second to Hanson in the crowd’s affections. SBS and 7NEWS reported Hanson’s attacks on Taylor and on the Coalition’s planned migration cuts. ABC reported that Taylor would welcome Josh Frydenberg back.
The two polls point to a government under pressure on prices but a minor-party challenger that may have peaked, and to a Liberal leader who has to win back right-leaning voters without being outflanked by One Nation.
Interest-rate decisions by the Reserve Bank affect your mortgage, but the polling suggests many voters hold Canberra, not the central bank, responsible for the cost of living. The next RBA decision is on November 3, alongside the US midterms.
Voters blaming the government for prices is the normal verdict in a squeeze, and Hanson’s slip shows protest votes can fade.
A softening in one poll is not a trend, and without the numbers the headline may overstate the movement.
Watch the numbers: the primary vote for One Nation, Labor and the Coalition in the next Newspoll and in the RBA’s November 3 decision. We have not published a figure because we did not see one.
DailyDrop Australia edition No. 8 · Morning · MON., OCT. 12, 2026