Pauline Hanson is driving a middle class uprising

Pauline Hanson is on a roll.  Support for her One Nation party has returned to levels not seen since 1998 according to the latest Galaxy Poll with one in four backing her.  And it’s white collar people and middle to upper class voters that are now leading her resurgence many say.  

This week’s poll shows her holding 23 percent of the primary vote in Queensland, up from 16% in November.  The support is coming from business owners, lawyers, accountants and academics anecdotally, and people are speaking out about what is causing them to change their opinions within their own social groups everywhere.   

The Guardian spoke to Ipswich business owner, Ken Lowe who feels deserted by a federal Coalition government that, in championing free trade deals, seems to be “working for somebody else but not for us”.  

He says “many people I know that are in business today in Brisbane and the Gold Coast who are sick of both [major] parties”, will vote for One Nation at the next state election. It’s not so much a protest vote as “a desperation vote”, Lowe said to the Guardian.

Irene, on Starts at 60 commented earlier in the week that “we’re so disgusted with our elected representatives… [Their] only representation is all about filling their pockets.”

Many of the media’s cries are saying that the business owners and entrepreneurs are not moving their vote because they are suffering financial hardship; instead, because they are tired of governments pursuing agendas that are not their own.  

“…the folly of pursuing even the Coalition’s “absurd” renewable energy targets; the need to do away with Safe Schools; and winding back politicians’ entitlements” are all major bugbears according to a comment in The Guardian.

“It’s just that she’s more in touch with the people rather than other politicians who look like they are in their castle, out of reach,” said Gillian Johnston, a sixty-something in our community.

The numbers speak for themselves and Hanson is revelling in the attention.  She said she’d be honoured to become PM one day in an interview with Channel 7 last week.  

“To be PM, what an honour that would be,” she said on the Morning Show.  “It is a privilege to be the leader of the nation, but it is a tough position and I can understand that you can’t please everyone all the time.  My job now is to represent the people of Queensland and to build the party.

Do you see the shift in sentiment towards Pauline Hanson is being demonstrated across all types of people with all types of backgrounds and people talking about her everywhere?