Senior strategists have advised campaigners against personally attacking Pauline Hanson or labeling her as racist, urging a more respectful approach when engaging One Nation supporters ahead of the Victorian election in November.
This guidance comes from progressive organizations and unions training volunteers to have one-on-one conversations with One Nation voters, reflecting a strategic shift following the party’s growing public support and recent electoral successes in state and federal byelections and South Australia.
Training sessions led by the Trades Hall Council and GetUp have emphasized that personal attacks on Hanson’s character may inadvertently reinforce her narrative of being an outsider under establishment siege.
“As best as you can, I know it’s hard, don’t make it personal,” a GetUp strategist advised participants during a recent Zoom call. “Going after Pauline Hanson personally and calling her a racist, or attacking her character directly, just confirms what people already believe—that she’s standing up for those the establishment has ignored.”
This represents a departure from previous tactics, including substantial ad spending on personal attacks against Hanson and Barnaby Joyce during the Farrer byelection, which proved ineffective as One Nation secured the seat.
Research by Redbridge following the Farrer result informed the new approach, aligning GetUp’s strategy with Trades Hall’s ongoing union training programs. Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett of Trades Hall notes that confrontational messaging often causes potential voters to withdraw when it dismisses their underlying concerns.
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Kaspi-Crutchett emphasizes that addressing Hanson’s racism requires framing it as a deliberate political strategy rather than dismissing it as personal prejudice. “It’s not merely a character flaw but a sophisticated political device that manufactures divisions where none exist,” he explains.
Campaigners are also advised to avoid leading with Hanson’s connections to Gina Rinehart, focusing instead on organic conversations. “It’s a problem, but research indicates this isn’t the most effective focus point,” strategists note. “Raising it upfront reads as a standard partisan attack and triggers defensiveness.”
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This guidance follows GetUp’s previous use of ads characterizing Hanson as a “wannabe billionaire” traveling in “mummy Gina’s” private jet, and a controversial banner displayed behind her during a National Press Club address featuring cartoon imagery of money.
Listen to the beat, not the lyrics
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Kaspi-Crutchett advises union representatives to identify underlying economic anxieties behind voters’ concerns about immigration, crime, or cultural issues. Hanson’s vulnerabilities lie in areas where labor movement messaging holds public trust: workplace rights, benefits, and family leave policies.
“Don’t fact-check conspiracy theories outright,” Kaspi-Crutchett suggests. “Instead, redirect conversations respectfully toward economic priorities. Don’t listen to the lyrics, listen to the beat—they’re consistently expressing dissatisfaction with the status quo. Help them articulate what that feels like. Usually, they’ll eventually say something like ‘my child can’t afford a home.'”
Trades Hall Council head Luke Hilakari recently criticized 23 state Labor MPs and candidates for lacking recent constituency engagement, urging intensified outreach efforts to counter One Nation’s momentum.
Kaspi-Crutchett stresses that grassroots conversations remain essential since traditional political figures have lost credibility with One Nation’s target demographic. “A nurse on the doorstep can achieve far more than numerous cabinet ministers and press secretaries. The trust has been exhausted.”
