What is driving Australia’s dramatic shift towards the conservative-leaning One Nation?
Author Kevin Donnelly believes decades of cultural change have left many Australians feeling disconnected from traditional values, creating a “groundswell of anxiety” that is now being reflected at the ballot box.
At the 2025 federal election, One Nation drew just 6.4 percent of the vote.
Donnelly, the author of “Wake Up To Woke: Why Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party Is So Popular,” points to a global shift that has largely occurred in the United States and Europe, until now.
“People are fed up with all this politically correct woke ideology, whether it’s gender fluidity, whether it’s climate alarmism, whether it’s having three flags instead of one, whether it’s undermining Western culture,” he told The Epoch Times.
Donnelly characterised the progressive influence as “cultural Marxism,” a phenomenon that has been occurring over the past 40 to 50 years.
He says that after the communist revolution failed to gain support in prosperous Western democracies, Marxist thinkers shifted their attention from economic revolution to cultural change.
“What these [Marxist] academics argued—associated with the Frankfurt School [in Germany]—was that the best way to overthrow Western culture, Christianity, religion, capitalism, was to take control of schools, universities, trade unions, the media, even the family and political organisations,” he said.
“[Cultural Marxism] is not as violent physically, but is probably more dangerous because it enforces mind control, groupthink, and indoctrinates young people in particular.”
Donnelly says recent economic problems has meant Australians are now enduring a “groundswell of anxiety.”
“The last 10 or 15 years have been quite difficult in terms of the cost of living,” Donnelly said.
He pointed to difficulties for young people in entering the housing market, as well as rising energy costs.
Immigration and multiculturalism are other factors Donnelly identified.
He acknowledged that migration had contributed positively to Australia but said many One Nation voters were concerned about the speed and scale of arrivals, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Pauline Hanson has been a strong critic of multiculturalism,” he added.
“I disagree with what she said about being a monoculture, but multiculturalism is an issue that people are concerned about.”
“One Nation is adamant that we should have one Australian culture. At the core of that, it is protecting and restoring traditional Australian values. And one of those is ensuring that our national language English is the dominant language of this country,” he said.
Bell stressed that the party was not against multilingualism, but that government services should be delivered in English.
Over half (55.3 percent) of respondents said cost of living was a key concern.
