We have spent 30 years meeting Pauline Hanson’s anger with our own. What if we tried this instead? | Peter Lewis
Guardian AU
•Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:00:12 GMT
📰 What Happened
In a commentary piece responding to Pauline Hanson's National Press Club address, Guardian Australia's Peter Lewis proposed a radical alternative to the usual approach of meeting Hanson's anger with anger. Instead of shouting her down, Lewis argued that voters and the media should keep asking her politely to explain her policies, suggesting this is where she is 'most exposed'. He acknowledged the widespread anger across Australia — at climate backsliding, the war in Gaza, economic mismanagement, tech billionaires, and consultancy firms — but argued that meeting One Nation's rise with fury only amplifies the party's message. The piece came alongside Guardian Essential poll data showing One Nation maintaining a meteoric rise.
🔍 The Backstory
Pauline Hanson's One Nation has been a fixture of Australian politics since the late 1990s, experiencing several cycles of rise and decline. Hanson's 2026 National Press Club address marked a renewed push for credibility, but also subjected her policies to unprecedented scrutiny. Peter Lewis is a regular columnist for Guardian Australia and a director of Essential Media, which conducts the Essential Poll. His commentary reflects on 30 years of observing Hanson's political career.
🎯 Why It Matters
Lewis' argument reflects a broader debate about how mainstream politics should respond to populist movements. The suggestion to engage rather than confront represents a strategic shift in thinking about how to counter the rise of right-wing populism in Australia.
In a commentary piece responding to Pauline Hanson's National Press Club address, Guardian Australia's Peter Lewis proposed a radical alternative to the usual approach of meeting Hanson's anger with anger. Instead of shouting her down, Lewis argued that voters and the media should keep asking her politely to explain her policies, suggesting this is where she is 'most exposed'. He acknowledged the widespread anger across Australia — at climate backsliding, the war in Gaza, economic mismanagement, tech billionaires, and consultancy firms — but argued that meeting One Nation's rise with fury only amplifies the party's message. The piece came alongside Guardian Essential poll data showing One Nation maintaining a meteoric rise.
Pauline Hanson's One Nation has been a fixture of Australian politics since the late 1990s, experiencing several cycles of rise and decline. Hanson's 2026 National Press Club address marked a renewed push for credibility, but also subjected her policies to unprecedented scrutiny. Peter Lewis is a regular columnist for Guardian Australia and a director of Essential Media, which conducts the Essential Poll. His commentary reflects on 30 years of observing Hanson's political career.
Lewis' argument reflects a broader debate about how mainstream politics should respond to populist movements. The suggestion to engage rather than confront represents a strategic shift in thinking about how to counter the rise of right-wing populism in Australia.