A surge in support for One Nation has ignited a fiery on-air confrontation between Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek and One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce, with Plibersek accusing Joyce of failing to listen to women.
The heated exchange on Sunrise followed a Newspoll survey showing One Nation climbing to 31 percent of the primary vote, overtaking Labor at 30 percent and far ahead of the Liberals on 18 percent.
When the discussion turned to immigration and population growth, Joyce repeatedly interrupted Plibersek as she argued Australia still needed migrants to fill critical workforce shortages, prompting a pointed response from the minister.
“You don’t like listening to women much, do you, Barnaby?”
“Oh of course ... I’m a sexist,” Joyce responded, shaking his head. Joyce dismissed the accusation before arguing Australia’s population growth was outpacing housing construction.
“You’ve got to do a stocktake of what Australia can absorb; the Labor Party has been bringing in the population of Canberra each year without the houses being built,” Joyce said.
The exchange capped a combative discussion about the poll, which found 70 percent of respondents believed Australian politics was overdue for a shake-up. Respondents said the people who “built this mess aren’t going to fix it,” a sentiment Plibersek argued Labor was already addressing through housing and cost-of-living reforms.
“The housing system has been busted for people trying to buy a home of their own. It’s been great for investors but not great for people who want to buy their first home,” she said.
“We’re changing that. It’s hard, it’s controversial; we’re having a fight about it right now because it’s controversial.”
Plibersek rejected suggestions the government’s recent federal budget had contributed to One Nation’s rise, despite the party’s support lifting from 24 percent before the budget to 31 percent afterwards.
“One Nation are obviously having a moment because Australians are crying out for change ... we’re the party that’s delivering change,” she said.
She also took aim at Pauline Hanson and Joyce’s political longevity. “Pauline Hanson’s been around politics for three decades and she still has got a list of complaints and no real policies for change.”
“Barnaby’s been there almost as long, he was deputy prime minister of this country for three years, he couldn’t manage to make those changes when he was deputy prime minister and now we’ve got to believe that he can make those changes now.”
Joyce hit back immediately. “Thank you for the talking points, Tanya ... next time just email me them,” he said.
“The polling is a reflection of the sentiment of the people ... the polling is over Labor.”
“They’re underwhelmed by the fact that you lied to them before the budget and then did something completely different, so they can’t trust you.”
“They feel that their life just does not change ... they don’t believe your talking points Tanya.”
The Newspoll also found Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s net approval rating had fallen to a record low of minus 24.
