Opinion & Perspectives
9 October, 2026
Editorial
It has been interesting speaking to different people about the impending Victorian election and how they will vote. The Victorian Government has been in office for twelve years and there is a feeling that people want change. You only need to look at opinion polls – they all paint a bleak picture for the Labor Government. But people don’t seem to have an abundance of trust in the Liberal Nationals Coalition either.
Many say they will vote for One Nation for no other reason than it is something different.
Mainstream politics across the length and breadth of this country is in deep trouble.
You only need to look at the results from the Farrer byelection to see that all of the major parties are in trouble.
The Liberals got just 12% in a seat that they held.
The Nationals got just 9% in a seat once held by former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fisher.
Between they they only mustered up just over 20%
And then take a look across the border to South Australia where One Nation outpolled the Liberal Party at the recent state election and came close to having enough seats to become the state’s opposition.
That is a frightening outcome that would send shivers down the spine of back room operatives.
A very similar outcome could be delivered here in Victoria with Labor being the big loser.
One Nation has selected a candidate for Ripon who no one has seen or heard from.
But despite Donna Buxton’s non appearance, she seems to be the red hot favourite to win the seat.
This week, betting agencies have Ms Buxton at $1.50 for a win to Liberal Megan Read at $3.10, Nationals’ Jo Armstrong at $8.00 and Labor’s Martha Haylett at $13.00.
People are gravitating towards One Nation despite their lack of policies, lack of details, lack of costings and lack of presence.
What it says, very clearly, is people are sick of the status quo.
What it says is a growing number of people, many of them life long Labor, Liberal and Nationals supporters no longer feel that their party represents them.
It hasn’t just happened overnight.
Votes for the traditional parties have been leaking away for a very long time.
Once, 98% of votes would go to either Labor, Liberal or Nationals.
These days they’re lucky to get 60% between them, and it’s falling.
People want something better.
They want governments that deliver for their needs.
They want basic services, they want a future for themselves and their families and they want honesty.
One Nation is unlikely to be a better option for any of us, but people seem to be willing to give them a go simply because they’re sick to the back teeth of everyone else.
And that’s a problem for all of the old parties and it won’t be easy to fix.