The first look at One Nation’s biggest state outpost in decades has been revealed after a stunning election result that is “resonating across the country”.
One Nation’s seven-member caucus in South Australia was unveiled on Wednesday, as counting in the historic March 21 state election neared its conclusion.
Pauline Hanson’s party was celebrating its biggest result since 11 MPs were elected in Queensland in 1998.
“Today is a seismic day for politics in South Australia. An earthquake has shattered the two-party system,” state party leader Cory Bernardi said as he introduced his colleagues in Adelaide.
“We got the second-highest number of votes of any political party across the state.”
In the lower house, Labor has claimed 34 seats, the Liberals five, One Nation four and independents four, although a recount is pending in the seat of Narungga, where One Nation leads by 77 votes.
Mr Bernardi hoped the party’s SA result would be a springboard to federal success, calling leader Senator Hanson its “greatest asset”.
“One Nation’s success in South Australia is resonating across the country,” he said.
“Our campaign has shown what can be achieved in future state and federal elections.
“It’s far too early to speculate on how One Nation may perform at the next federal election … but I wish our party every success when the federal election comes around.”
Mr Bernardi will serve an eight-year term in the Legislative Council, alongside state party president Carlos Quaremba and Rebecca Hewett.
In the House of Assembly, David Paton is the member-elect for Ngadjuri, with Robert Roylance elected for Hammond and Jason Virgo for MacKillop.
Chantelle Thomas – who has a slim lead in Narungga – said she was feeling confident about winning and understood the recount was occurring.
One Nation’s new MPs were “not your normal group of politicians”, Mr Bernardi said.
“They come from all different walks of life … I think that diversity is our strength in One Nation.”
Mr Bernardi is a conservative Catholic who served as a Liberal senator for 14 years, Mr Quaremba was a Victor Harbor councillor and construction business manager and Ms Hewett was a Mt Barker district councillor and seventh-generation primary producer.
Mr Roylance was a Mannum ferry driver, Mr Paton was Adelaide Plains deputy mayor, Ms Thomas was a photographer and makeup artist and Mr Virgo was a former immigration centre worker and Sex Party candidate.
None of the 11 One Nation MPs elected in Queensland in 1998 stayed in the party for the whole term, and the party’s first SA MP, Sarah Game, quit in May 2025 to become an independent.
Mr Bernardi said the seven members-elect would “100 per cent” serve their full terms under the One Nation banner.
“Our desires and our hopes and aspirations are purely for our electorates … so I reckon in four years’ time, we’ll have these seven people standing here.”
Mr Bernardi expected to see more of Senator Hanson in SA as she juggled the May 9 by-election for the federal NSW seat of Farrer to decide former opposition leader Sussan Ley’s replacement.
“She’s an amazing figure, an iconic political figure,” he said.
Mr Bernardi said SA’s escalating ambulance ramping crisis could be “fixed, no question” and blamed the housing crisis on immigration.
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