Deputy Prime Minister and National Party leader Barnaby Joyce said the Coalition government is "reading off the One Nation script" during the budget reply [1].
The accusation suggests a significant shift in the government's policy direction toward the right. This borrowing of ideas follows a period of increased electoral strength for the One Nation party, creating a competitive environment where the Coalition may feel pressured to adopt populist platforms to retain its base.
Joyce spoke during the federal budget reply speech at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday [1, 2]. He said that recent Coalition proposals regarding tax brackets, net-zero targets, and migration mirror the specific policy pillars championed by One Nation [1, 2].
This policy convergence comes as One Nation has doubled its national primary vote in less than 12 months [1]. The party's influence has also been felt in regional contests, where One Nation out-polled the Opposition in the recent Farrer by-election [1].
Pauline Hanson echoed Joyce's assessment in an interview with ABC News In-depth. "When you see the competition, the Coalition ends up stealing our ideas," Hanson said [1].
Despite the claims of policy mirroring, some government members have pushed back against the idea that the budget will negatively impact specific groups. Angus Taylor said immigrants will not be forced to give up anything after the budget [2].
Joyce's comments highlight a growing tension within the Coalition as it balances traditional governance with the need to counter the rise of right-wing populism in regional Australia [1, 2].
“"The Coalition is reading off the One Nation script."”
The public admission by a senior government figure that the Coalition is adopting One Nation's platform indicates a strategic pivot to neutralize a growing political threat. By incorporating populist stances on migration and taxation, the government is attempting to stem the flow of voters toward the right, potentially altering the long-term ideological center of the National Party.
