Key facts
- ALP president Wayne Swan warned against normalizing authoritarian trends in Australian politics.
- Swan likened Pauline Hanson's rhetoric and policy proposals to those of Donald Trump.
- He urged the Labor party to actively counter One Nation's influence, citing concerns about a 'dark, dystopic future'.
- Swan highlighted Hanson's proposals to shut down SBS and move ABC to a subscription model.
- He connected Hanson's agenda to Gina Rinehart's 'billionaire agenda' and Trump's influence on inequality.
- Labor's membership has decreased, and Swan emphasized the importance of reaching a target of 65,000 members by 2029.
ALP president Wayne Swan has warned that increasingly authoritarian trends in Australian politics must not be normalized, drawing parallels between Pauline Hanson's rhetoric and Donald Trump's impact on American civic life. Swan urged the Labor party to actively resist One Nation at the upcoming election, likening Hanson's platform to a 'dark, dystopic picture of the future' that could become reality if not challenged.
Speaking to Labor's national executive, Swan expressed concern that public apathy allows such political trends to become normalized and implemented. He highlighted Hanson's proposals to shut down SBS and transition the ABC to a subscription model, alongside her push for a 'monoculture' in Australia. Swan connected these ideas to the 'billionaire agenda' of Gina Rinehart, arguing that rising inequality poisons society and threatens democracy.
Swan also noted a decline in Labor's membership, from nearly 57,000 in 2022 to about 51,500 in 2024, emphasizing the crucial need to reach a target of 65,000 members by 2029. Polling indicates One Nation is gaining support, surpassing both Labor and the Coalition in primary votes, with Hanson herself leading as preferred prime minister.
NSW Premier Chris Minns echoed Swan's sentiment, describing Hanson's policy prescriptions as 'bullshit' and criticizing her attacks on multiculturalism. Minns called for Labor to actively defend and promote modern, multicultural Australia.