Calling Indigenous Australians “the most primitive race on earth” might spook some One Nation voters, but experts believe it’s unlikely to put a big dent in the party’s primary vote.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on Tuesday said she regretted her comments on First Nations people, unearthed from a 2025 podcast, and apologised.
But she stood by her opinion the culture was primitive compared to English settlers.
Despite shocking many, the views should not be a surprise, Monash University populism expert Benjamin Moffitt told AAP.
“She does not like Indigenous people, she’s a far-right nativist, racist and nothing’s changed there,” he said.
“I think it’s perceived as cruel, ill-advised and incredibly mean-spirited.”
Senator Hanson made her first headlines when she called for removing government assistance for Indigenous Australians in 1996, which made the Liberal Party dump her as a candidate.
A creature of the political fringe, it took nearly 30 years for voters deserting the major parties to catapult her into the mainstream.
“That’s the difference here, One Nation is … trying to position themselves as the opposition,” Dr Moffitt said.
Populists overseas also had a “bigger package” shielding them even if their policies were perceived as cruel.
“Think of Farage, think of Trump, they have a way of being able to laugh these things off,” Dr Moffitt said.
“Hanson doesn’t quite have that, and we see that Barnaby Joyce has to come in and clean up the mess.
“There’s not even a commitment to the bit.”
Indigenous issues were unlikely to trouble One Nation’s headline polling figures, YouGov pollster Paul Smith told AAP.
“The thing that has the greatest impact on her lead amongst working-class voters is her support for making it easier to sack workers … this is her actual Achilles heel,” he said.
Those views were raised during a fiery speech from independent senator Jacqui Lambie on Tuesday, drawing parallels between US President Donald Trump, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Senator Hanson, who is backed by billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart.
“They care about hanging out with billionaires and feathering their own nests,” Senator Lambie said.
“Senator Hanson will be fine in her retirement, as will Nigel and Donald.”
The real danger the One Nation leader’s comments about Indigenous Australians posed would come from voters ranking them lower on ballot papers, Mr Smith said.
“Preferences are important … and I think what people are likely to do is draw away,” he said.
Controversies were also hard to read, University of Canberra political scientist Emily Foley told AAP, pointing to the surprisingly limp impact of One Nation Victorian leader Warren Pickering’s recent admission of drug use.
“It’s a question of (whether voters’ anger) is stronger,” Dr Foley said.
One Nation is level with Labor at 25 per cent of first-preference votes, according to Tuesday’s Roy Morgan poll.
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