Chalmers tells progressives to stop sneering at One Nation voters as the party’s rise unsettles both Labor and the Coalition
The Australian, the Courier Mail, the Herald Sun, News.com.au and the Guardian reported on Wednesday that Treasurer Jim Chalmers urged progressives not to mock, cancel or talk down to One Nation supporters. The Herald group’s live blog reported him saying progressives should take the party’s rise seriously. The ABC reported Labor loyalists defecting as voters look for alternatives, and the Herald group reported former Coalition MPs seeking a place on One Nation’s NSW ticket. The ABC also reported the prime minister confirming he had intervened to delay an ATO credit-card ban, which several News Corp mastheads and The Nightly presented as an embarrassment for Mr Chalmers. We did not see polling, the ATO rule’s details, or a reply from One Nation.
When a Treasurer tells his own side to stop scolding a rival party’s voters, it signals that Labor sees One Nation as a real competitor for its voters, not just for the Coalition’s. A fragmented right and a nervous left change how both major parties set policy on tax, migration and the cost of living, and they bring forward the question of how One Nation preferences are handled at the next elections.
If you follow state politics, a crowded One Nation ticket in NSW could change who contests seats there. The ATO credit-card change, once the details are published, may affect how you pay tax bills; check the ATO’s own notices rather than a headline.
Voters angry about prices and housing are not fools, and mocking them pushes them further away; the major parties need to listen instead.
Treating One Nation supporters as a bloc to be soothed risks legitimising positions, such as opposition to vaccines, that mainstream parties should keep contesting directly.
We have no polling in the items, so we will not call this a surge. The facts are that the Treasurer, the ABC and several newsrooms agree the party is on both parties’ minds. Watch for published polling, for the ATO’s explanation of the credit-card change and its new date, and for whether Mr Albanese and Mr Chalmers settle on one line about it.
DailyDrop Australia edition No. 11 · Morning · THU., OCT. 15, 2026