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One Nation rises as voters seek AI for politics
As Victorians prepare to vote, One Nation threatens both major parties while AI chatbots reshape how voters learn about candidates and policies.
In brief
As Victorians prepare to vote, One Nation threatens both major parties while AI chatbots reshape how voters learn about candidates and policies. One Nation is gaining ground in Victoria's election as disgruntled voters turn to AI for political information, but AI models often exclude the party from comparisons…
Victoria's election becomes three-way fight
With fewer than fifty days until Victorians vote, the race between Labor, the Coalition and One Nation is operating on two levels: the macro and the subterranean, becoming a proxy war with nationally significant consequences.
Hanson steals the spotlight from Taylor
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Brisbane this weekend, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor played second fiddle to Pauline Hanson. She was the rock star.
“She was the rock star.”
Liberals pin hopes on Wilson's brand
Party strategists see Victorian Liberal leader Jess Wilson as key to repairing the Liberal brand. She offers a return to traditional small-l liberal values, with a focus on the economy, not culture wars.
Labor struggles with its own leadership
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll must convince voters he offers something different from the government he helped run. Labor has a history of handing leadership to women when the party is on its last legs.
One Nation already winning Labor seats
One Nation threatens both major parties. It has already picked up Secret Harbour from Labor at a state by-election in Western Australia.
Voters care about basics, not culture wars
Voters want someone who will fix potholes, housing, hospitals and the cost of living. For most people, those basics will determine how they vote. Everything else starts to fall into the fringe basket.
Disgruntled voters see One Nation as solution
Disgruntled Labor voters are going straight to One Nation rather than parking their vote with the Liberals.
Voters increasingly use AI for politics
People are using AI as the new Google to plan trips, look things up and make sense of information. Voters are increasingly turning to AI chatbots to inform them about political issues and parties.
AI models rarely mention One Nation
Research from Topham Guerin found that in two hundred answers comparing parties on Victorian election issues, AI models mentioned Labor in all, the Liberals and Nationals in one hundred ninety-nine each, the Greens in one…
Exclusion reinforces One Nation's narrative
The study does not establish deliberate suppression, but it shows models often leave One Nation out of general comparisons.
AI absence means political invisibility
Andrew Hirst, former Liberal Party director and now chief executive of Topham Guerin, says: Voters and consumers are increasingly getting their information from AI tools, so political parties and media outlets are being judged on…
“Voters and consumers are increasingly getting their information from AI tools, so political parties and media outlets are being judged on how well a machine can understand them.”
The key point
One Nation is gaining ground in Victoria's election as disgruntled voters turn to AI for political information, but AI models often exclude the party from comparisons, potentially boosting its appeal to voters who feel the system is rigged.
