Labor, Liberal Call for Calm After Poll Puts One Nation Ahead of Major Parties

Labor has urged Australians not to overreact to surging One Nation support in a new political poll.

A RedBridge/Accent Research poll revealed the conservative-leaning One Nation head shifted ahead of Labor for the first time attracting 31 percent of primary support. This was followed by Labor on 28 percent and the Liberal-National Coalition on 20 percent.

Labor Health Minister Mark Butler said voters should not read “too much” into the numbers, with the federal election two years away.

“There’ll be a million polls between now and election day, which will determine future government,” Butler told ABC Radio National Breakfast.

He acknowledged households were under pressure, with inflation already high before the war in Iran made it worse.

“I think you see that in the polls, you see it in private research. People are just wanting government to deliver more relief,” he said.

The Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson said the Coalition needed to be better and dismissed any suggestion it was now a “minor” party.

“We need to be better and make sure that we clearly communicate to the Australian community what we’re going to do. But I’m absolutely convinced that, not just we will be here in the parliament, but we will go on to win,” he said on ABC Radio National.

“I think there’s a chunk of voters who are just going into the orange paddock of despair because there’s a lot of noise and attention there, but we need to actually make it clear where we want to take the country.”

Meanwhile, former prime minister and now-Liberal Party President Tony Abbott said he would not get “too excited” by the latest poll and said left-wing parties were the main competitors.

“Our economy is stagnant, our society is fragmenting, our security is imperiled, and yes, we don’t believe in ourselves nearly enough.” Abbott said.

“Obviously, we are in a degree of competition with other parties and voices on the centre-right,” Abbott said. “But in the end, our opponent, our enemy if you like, is a really bad Labor government, a really bad Green-left-Labor government.”

Abbott was elected unopposed as Liberal Party president on May 29.