Victorian Coalition Puts One Nation Ahead of Labor as Voters Reject the Left
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Jess Wilson has announced that the Liberal-National coalition will place One Nation above Labor on its how-to-vote cards, while preserving the flexibility to adjust preferences where a candidate’s views are judged unacceptable.
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 emphasized that the default preference for One Nation could be altered in electorates where a candidate is deemed to hold offensive views, noting that more than 700 candidates are contesting the election and that the coalition is conducting due diligence on a case-by-case basis. The policy reflects a practical recognition that voters want stronger alternatives to Labor and the activist left, while still allowing local discretion where necessary.
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 comment shows the coalition balancing its broader anti-Labor position with the realities of different electorates and community concerns.
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.