Victorian Coalition Signals Open Alignment With One Nation Over Labor in State Election
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Opposition leader Jess Wilson has confirmed that the Liberal-National coalition will elevate One Nation above Labor on its how-to-vote cards, while keeping the option to quietly adjust preferences where candidates are seen as too overtly offensive.
The Liberal and National parties in Victoria will preference One Nation ahead of the Labor Party on their how-to-vote cards for the upcoming state election, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said at a press conference on Tuesday. The cards will direct voters to rank Labor, the Greens and the Victorian Socialists at the bottom of the ballot, with all other parties placed above them.
Wilson stressed that the default preference for One Nation could still be changed in electorates where a candidate is judged to hold offensive views, acknowledging that more than 700 candidates are contesting the election and that the coalition is carrying out case-by-case due diligence. The arrangement underscores how far the coalition is prepared to drift toward reactionary politics while trying to manage the fallout seat by seat.
One Nation, which is fielding candidates in most lower-house seats and all upper-house regions, has traditionally placed Labor and the Greens last on its own ballots. A Liberal party member, speaking anonymously, said the coalition might lower One Nation’s preference in some urban electorates to avoid alienating Asian voters who oppose the party’s anti-migration stance. That concern highlights the political calculation behind the coalition’s willingness to flirt with One Nation’s hardline agenda while selectively dialing it up or down when convenient.
Labor Minister Anthony Carbines responded that the preference decision shows Wilson’s willingness to work cooperatively with One Nation in parliament and indicated that Labor intends to place One Nation at the bottom of its own ballots, potentially preferring the Greens ahead of the coalition. The Age previously reported in April that the coalition would preference One Nation ahead of Labor, with final decisions to be made seat-by-seat. In the May Nepean by-election, the Liberals placed One Nation third on the ballot after the Libertarian candidate, who later joined One Nation. Applications for how-to-vote cards remain open until noon on November 20.