Progressive campaigners and unionists have been advised by strategists to refrain from personally attacking Pauline Hanson or labelling her a racist. This guidance is being given to those engaging in one-on-one conversations with One Nation supporters ahead of the Victorian election in November.
This shift in strategy comes in response to One Nation's sustained rise in public support and recent victories in state and federal byelections, as well as in South Australia. Training sessions conducted by the Trades Hall Council, Victoria's peak union body, and the progressive campaign group GetUp, have cautioned members that personal attacks may inadvertently be driving people towards One Nation.
A GetUp strategist informed members during a Zoom call that focusing on Hanson's character "just confirms what people already believe: that she is an outsider and the establishment is attacking her." This marks a change for GetUp, which previously spent significant funds on advertisements personally attacking Hanson and her deputy leader, Barnaby Joyce, during the Farrer byelection, with limited impact.
Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett, a senior researcher at Trades Hall, stated that individuals considering voting for One Nation become unreceptive when they perceive personal attacks on the party's leadership that do not acknowledge their legitimate concerns. He suggests that campaigners should listen for underlying economic concerns, even when opinions are expressed about immigration, crime, or culture wars, and redirect conversations respectfully to the economy.