Surge in support for One Nation

PAULINE Hanson will jet into the Queensland campaign tonight poised to handpick the state’s next premier after the November 25 election as disenchanted voters spurn the major parties.

Support for One Nation has surged, according to the results of the election’s first Galaxy Poll.

The Tim Nicholls-led Liberal National Party has suffered a sharp fall while Labor’s vote has flat lined with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unable to command the vote she received at the 2015 election.

One in three Queenslanders are backing minor parties or independents, the poll results reveal, greater than the total vote being mustered by the LNP and closing in on Labor’s support.

The results indicate neither of the major parties would be able to secure a majority and Queensland is careering towards another hung parliament with One Nation likely to snare a swag of seats.

According to Galaxy, the LNP primary vote has plummeted four per cent in three months to 32 per cent, the worst for the party in over five years.

Labor remained on 35 per cent, below the 37.5 per cent achieved at the last election which allowed Annastacia Palaszczuk to negotiate a minority government arrangement with Independent Peter Wellington.

One Nation’s vote jumped from 15 per cent to 18 per cent, putting the party in the frame to repeat its feat at the 1998 state election when it won 11 seats and finished second in 23 others.

“However, with three weeks of campaigning to go the result cannot be considered a foregone conclusion,” Galaxy David Brigg said.

“In 1998 One Nation secured 22.7 per cent of the primary vote and won 11 seats in parliament.

“Although support for the party is currently below the level achieved in 1998 they are likely to field less candidates and hence they would be expected to be competitive in a number of seats in which they stand.”

These include electorates in north Queensland such as Thuringowa, Burdekin and Whitsunday, central Queensland electorates like Keppel, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Maryborough as well as Logan and Lockyer in the southeast corner.

The poll shows the Greens have jumped to nine per cent, in an indication swinging voters may be siding with the Left-wing outfit over the controversial Adani coal mine.

On a two-party preferred basis, the Galaxy Poll put Labor in the lead 52 per cent to 48 per cent with almost two in three One Nation voters preferencing the LNP over Labor.