Australian progressive campaigners told to drop personal attacks on Pauline Hanson ahead of Victorian vote

Victoria's peak union body, Trades Hall Council, and the progressive group GetUp have issued new guidance to members and volunteers ahead of the state's November election: avoid personal attacks on One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, including labelling her a racist. The advice emerged during training sessions organised as One Nation continues a sustained rise in support, including recent wins in state and federal byelections and in South Australia.

Why the approach changed

The shift follows research by polling firm Redbridge conducted after the Farrer byelection, where GetUp had spent heavily on ads linking Hanson and her deputy to Donald Trump. Those ads had little apparent effect, and One Nation won the seat comfortably. As a result, GetUp has moved away from its earlier strategy of directly targeting Hanson's character.

A Trades Hall researcher explained that voters weighing a vote for One Nation tend to disengage when they sense attacks on the party's leadership rather than acknowledgment of their genuine economic grievances. At the same time, organisers stressed that ignoring Hanson's racist rhetoric entirely is not the goal — instead, campaigners should frame it as a deliberate political tool used to manufacture division between groups, rather than simply a personal flaw.

Redirecting to economic concerns

Campaigners have also been told not to lead with attacks on Hanson's wealthy backer, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, even though GetUp previously ran ads portraying her as flying around on "mummy Gina's" private plane. Such direct criticism is seen as triggering the same defensive reaction as attacking Hanson's character.

Instead, volunteers are encouraged to steer conversations toward working conditions, entitlements and housing affordability — areas where Hanson is considered most vulnerable and where the labour movement retains strong public trust. Organisers argue that one-on-one conversations with constituents are far more persuasive than statements from politicians, noting that trust in traditional political figures has eroded among the voters One Nation is targeting.