Anning’s walk hits Hanson’s prospects

ONE Nation Senator Fraser Anning’s dramatic defection has turned Queenslanders off Pauline Hanson’s party and may damage its prospects at the November 25 election.

A statewide Galaxy poll late last week has revealed two out of five Queenslanders were now less likely to support One Nation.

The result will buoy both main parties who have been trying to lure voters away from One Nation ahead of one of the tightest Queensland elections for decades.

Senator Anning replaced Malcolm Roberts, who was forced out amid the dual citizenship debacle and is now running for the seat of Ipswich. Mr Roberts’ exit came after One Nation’s West Australian Senator Rod Culleton was ejected from the Senate over bankruptcy and replaced with brother-in-law Peter Georgiou.

Senator Anning left One Nation within an hour of being sworn in, but there was argument over whether he quit or was forced out by Ms Hanson.

The poll of more than 1000 Queenslanders showed 41 per cent were now less likely to vote for One Nation because of the party’s behaviour in Canberra. It found 46 per cent were not influenced by the defection, while 7 per cent were now more likely to support Senator Hanson’s party.

It comes as a ReachTEL poll for Sky News found Labor was leading the LNP 51 to 49 per cent, two-party preferred, on a statewide basis.

This compares with the Galaxy poll at the end of the first week of the campaign, which had Labor leading the LNP 52 per cent to 48 per cent, two party preferred. ReachTEL also found Labor would retain Ferny Grove, leading the LNP 54 per cent to 46 per cent, two-party preferred, but was neck and neck with One Nation in Thuringowa and with the LNP in Whitsunday.