Exclusive fresh polling has revealed a dramatic shift in Australia’s political landscape, with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson surging to become the nation’s preferred Prime Minister for the very first time. The result marks a significant departure from decades of dominance by Australia’s two major political blocs and signals growing voter frustration with the traditional parties.

According to the latest Resolve Political Monitor conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Hanson has emerged as the first choice for the country’s top political job. The finding represents a remarkable milestone for the veteran senator, whose political career has often been defined by challenging the major parties from outside the mainstream.

The polling results suggest Hanson’s message is resonating with a growing number of Australians who feel disconnected from both Labor and the Coalition. While preferred Prime Minister surveys are often closely contested between the leaders of the two major parties, this latest result has placed Hanson ahead of both, creating a new and unexpected dynamic in federal politics.

At the same time, One Nation has continued to strengthen its position in the primary vote. The party has edged ahead of Labor in primary support, while the Coalition has fallen even further behind. For many political observers, the numbers indicate a broader realignment of voter sentiment rather than a temporary fluctuation.

Hanson appears determined to capitalize on the momentum. Rather than treating the polling surge as a symbolic victory, she is already moving to convert popularity into political advantage. The One Nation leader is planning an aggressive fundraising and advertising push designed to reinforce her message and expand the party’s reach ahead of future electoral contests.

A major part of that strategy will be a television advertising blitz scheduled to air during Wednesday night’s State of Origin clash, one of the most watched sporting events on the Australian calendar. By targeting such a large national audience, Hanson hopes to bring One Nation’s campaign directly into households across the country.

The latest developments build upon momentum that had already been gathering earlier this year. At the end of March, separate polling showed One Nation had become the most popular political party in Australia based on primary support, overtaking Labor and raising serious questions about the standing of the major parties.

That survey, conducted by The Australian Financial Review, Redbridge Group and Accent Research, found that One Nation’s primary support had climbed sharply. According to the poll, support for the party increased by four percentage points to reach 31 per cent compared with the pre-budget survey conducted just a month earlier.

Such gains are particularly noteworthy because they occurred during a period when voters were paying close attention to economic issues, government spending and cost-of-living pressures. Political analysts have increasingly pointed to these concerns as key drivers behind voter dissatisfaction with the established political order.

Hanson’s campaign strategy reflects her belief that the current political climate offers a unique opportunity. She has promised to air her highly publicized “Fire the Liar” advertisements during the State of Origin broadcast, ensuring maximum exposure during prime-time television viewing.

The advertisements directly target Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and seek to portray the government as disconnected from ordinary Australians. Hanson has repeatedly argued that voters are losing confidence in Labor’s leadership and are searching for alternatives outside the traditional political framework.

What makes the latest polling especially significant is that Hanson is no longer simply attacking the government from the sidelines. She is now polling ahead of Albanese as preferred Prime Minister, a development that would have seemed highly unlikely only a short time ago.

The challenge for Labor is therefore twofold. Not only is One Nation gaining ground in the preferred leadership stakes, but the party is also outperforming Labor in primary vote support. Together, those trends point to a broader shift in voter attitudes that cannot easily be dismissed.

Yet it is the Coalition that appears to be facing the greatest political pressure. Once viewed as the natural alternative to a Labor government, the Coalition now finds itself sitting in a distant third position in some polling measures. The result has intensified debate about the opposition’s direction and its ability to reconnect with voters.

Health Minister Mark Butler downplayed the significance of One Nation’s advertising campaign, suggesting that political advertising surges are a normal feature of electoral politics.

“I think these campaigns come and they go, we’ve all run them,” Butler said.

However, he also argued that One Nation’s ambitions extend beyond simply challenging Labor. In his view, the party is seeking to replace the Coalition as the dominant force on the political right.

“They’re actually not interested in fighting the Coalition, they want to take over the Coalition,” Butler said.

That assessment reflects a growing concern among Coalition figures who fear that One Nation’s rise could continue to erode their support base. If conservative voters increasingly migrate toward Hanson’s party, the Coalition could face an even more difficult path back to government.

At the same time, some opposition figures have indicated they are open to broader discussions about cooperation among parties opposed to Labor. Shadow Defence Industry Minister Phil Thompson suggested that meaningful political change would require more than advertising campaigns alone.

“If we’re going to be serious about getting rid of this bad government, we should be looking at working with everyone,” Thompson said.

His comments highlight an ongoing debate within conservative politics about how best to respond to One Nation’s growing influence. While some see collaboration as a practical necessity, others remain wary of entering into formal arrangements that could reshape the political landscape.

Outgoing Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam delivered perhaps the clearest warning on the issue as he prepared to leave politics in order to spend more time with his family.

Duniam argued that discussions about preference deals or potential coalitions were premature and risked distracting from the opposition’s more immediate challenge.

“All of this talk about preference deals and coalitions is way too premature, and in fact not even relevant. Our job is to win back the votes we lost,” he said.

His remarks underscore the difficult position facing the Coalition. Before considering alliances or electoral arrangements, the party must first address the reasons many of its traditional supporters have drifted away.

Duniam also reflected on his own decision to step away from politics, linking it to broader frustrations that had developed over time.

“The leadership change earlier this year was a point in time where I thought, I’ve had enough,” he said.

His departure removes another experienced figure from the opposition ranks at a time when the Coalition is already struggling to project unity and direction. The loss of senior personnel only adds to concerns about the party’s ability to recover lost ground.

For Labor, Pauline Hanson’s rise to the top of the preferred Prime Minister rankings represents an unwelcome development. It creates a new political challenge from outside the traditional two-party contest while simultaneously increasing pressure on the government to defend its record.

For the Coalition, however, the implications may be even more serious. Hanson’s growing popularity is not only drawing attention away from opposition leader Angus Taylor but also weakening the argument that he is the clear alternative to the Prime Minister. As One Nation continues to gain momentum, questions are increasingly being asked about who truly leads the opposition to the Albanese government in the eyes of voters.

Whether the polling surge proves to be a lasting transformation or a temporary political moment remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Pauline Hanson and One Nation have inserted themselves into the center of Australia’s political conversation in a way that few could have predicted. With new advertising campaigns, rising support and growing national attention, the party is positioning itself as a major force capable of reshaping the balance of power in Australian politics.