ALBURY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 09: One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, stands on stage as her party wins the Farrer by-election on May 9, 2026 in Albury, Australia. The May 9 contest, triggered by Sussan Ley's resignation after being ousted as Liberal leader by Angus Taylor in February, has since evolved into a rare four-cornered race between the Liberals, the Nationals, an independent and One Nation — with polling suggesting the minor party could secure as much as 29 percent of the primary vote in the sprawling rural electorate. (Photo by Jesse Thompson/Getty Images)

One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, stands on stage as her party wins the Farrer by-election on May 9, 2026 in Albury, Australia.
Photo: Jesse Thompson / Getty Images

Pauline Hanson says she has the ability to lead Australia as prime minister but admits she was shocked by a poll that suggested One Nation had pulled ahead of Labor.

A Redbridge Group and Accent Research poll published in the Australian Financial Review shows primary support for One Nation at 31 per cent, compared to Labor on 28 per cent and 20 per cent for the Coalition.

The poll surveyed just over 1000 people and has a margin of error of give or take 3.4 per cent.

The One Nation leader said this was a result she had been “working towards” for her entire political career.

“But it’s not for me personally, I want to change for the country. I want people to feel that they’ve, you know, got some hope for the future,” she told ABC Radio Brisbane.

“At the moment, I’m head of the party. I’m leader of the party. Would I be able to do the job? I believe that I could. I do believe I have the ability, but it’s another year and a half outside of an election.”

Controversial former Australian politician Pauline Hanson speaks to the media in Sydney after narrowly failing in her bid to win a seat in the New South Wales parliament on April 12, 2011 in Sydney. Despite leading voters' first preferences, the outspoken 56-year-old

A new poll showed Pauline Hanson’s One Nation leading other parties.
Photo: AFP

Hanson currently sits in the upper house but hasn’t ruled out putting her hat in the ring for a lower house seat ahead of the next election.

She said she couldn’t well turn around now and say she didn’t want to be PM.

“Because why then would I encourage people to vote for One Nation?” she said.

“If that’s what the people want because they’ll be knowing if they vote for the nation, I’m the leader of the party. I will be automatically be in that position. But it’s a long way outside the election.”

Kos Samaras, director at RedBridge Group and former Labor strategist, said Labor’s Anthony Albanese remains preferred PM among all voters surveyed but his popularity has slid post-budget.

“Australia’s net response to the budget was not necessarily whether the government’s doing a good job or the opposition’s response is great,” he told ABC’s AM.

“It’s more, well, all I’ve heard post-budget is these two major parties or traditional major parties bickering amongst each other whilst I’m struggling to pay the bills.”

– ABC Live coverage