Mr Newman also predicts his former treasurer and current Liberal National Party leader Tim Nicholls will also have to publicly confront that reality if he’s to become the state’s next premier.
Speaking on Sky News on Monday night, Mr Newman said he believed One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson was “an older and wiser politician” than 20 years ago.
“You can talk preferences all you like, but they’re going to win enough seats.”
Mr Newman compared inaccurate polling on Ms Hanson’s popularity with the lead-up to president-elect Donald Trump’s surprising victory in the US.
“There was a poll in Queensland on the weekend that says she was at 16 per cent cent,” Mr Newman said.
“I think it’s over 20.”
Regarding preferences, he predicted Ms Hanson would “keep her powder dry” and that it would ultimately come down to a seat-by-seat basis.
Mr Newman admitted Ms Hanson’s sympathies were likely to lie with the LNP.
“Tim Nicholls might be the next Queensland premier, but he’s going to have to confront that issue and he’s going to have to answer in the media,” he said.
Labor has pledged to preference One Nation last at the next poll, which is due by early 2018, however Mr Nicholls has repeatedly danced around the question and said it was a matter for the party’s executive.
Both parties have declared they will attempt to combat the One Nation threat by “listening to the concerns” of the electorate.
© AAP 2016
The major parties have perhaps not realised the effect of social media as people know they are not getting an objective picture from the mainstream media. There are millions of people on Facebook, Twitter and other sources. These sources are becoming increasingly political
as the conservative parties realise they can project their message there.
As the influence of the Greens Party on Labor has become so apparent people are also realising that if there is to be a balance of power it must be given to Conservative parties. The Senate has just become a vindictive left wing tribal lot determined to block all attempts by the Govt for sensible policies just because they can score political points (in their minds) . However, that is backfiring and they know it.
Career politicians have under-estimated and even ignored the rise of the right across the western world. They are saying (in relation to incompatible immigration, freedom of speech and arrogant, greedy politicians), “We’ve had enough and we’re not taking it any more”. That’s why Hanson, Trump, Le Pen, Farage, Wilders are all going to be calling the shots within a short distance of time.
Campbell Newman failed to see his own party’s wipeout from a majority of 70+! Don’t think his predictions are worth anything.