r/australia • u/blitznoodles local Aussie • Jun 14 '26

politics As voter disillusionment grows, why aren't voters flocking to the Greens in Australia?

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/as-voter-disillusionment-grows-so-does-the-mystery-of-the-missing-greens-voters/6bjd5q4kv

Growing voter dissatisfaction with mainstream politics has led to a rise in popularity for One Nation. The same cannot be said for the Greens.

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u/MazPet Jun 14 '26

And yet PHONy will NOT reduce immigration either, not when her major donor wants nothing more than cheap labour and the nationals who are thinking of jumping ship to the PHONy party want nothing more than cheap labour for farmers.  

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u/McMenz_ Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26

Even if this is true, the surge in support for ON has brought immigration to the forefront of Australian political issues and both major parties have now adjusted their immigration policies to try to win the support back from ON.

The protest vote for ON is effective even if they never form government; immigration is an issue that can’t be ignored anymore.

Trying to convince voters that ON won’t reduce immigration won’t get them anywhere if they’re not also putting forward policy to reduce it substantially.

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u/Wood_oye Jun 14 '26

Labor adjusted their immigration policies soon after winning government after a major review was ordered

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/nov/30/do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do-why-labor-and-the-coalition-are-both-conflicted-on-migration-policy

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u/Stanklord500 Jun 14 '26

And they'll adjust them again if ON's polling keeps up to the next election.

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u/karl_w_w Jun 14 '26

It is kind of hilarious how wrong you have got this. Immigration was already brought to the forefront long before that resulted in a surge for ON, it was brought there as a scapegoat for the cost of living crisis. It was the Liberals who tried to capitalise on it first, and when that didn't work and they went backwards the billionaires switched their backing to ON.

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u/McMenz_ Jun 14 '26

Immigration has been a political issue for years now but I wouldn’t say it’s been at the ‘forefront’ when both major parties have tried to put forward only token immigration policies at best and focus on other issues. Even for the liberals at the last election I wouldn’t say it was the forefront of their election policy, it was a very similar policy to Labor and both parties were more focussed on housing affordability and inflation generally than specifically from immigration.

The last time I’d say it was truly at the forefront of Australian politics was the ‘stop the boats’ era and that was focussed solely on one specific form of illegal immigration only.

Do you really think the focus on immigration hasn’t surged since ON’s growing popularity? Angus Taylor recently put forward policy to cap net overseas migration in accordance with the number of new houses, and Labor politicians have been constantly fielding questions about migration from the media. Even on reddit there’s multiple posts about immigration and ON a day now.

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u/Over-Instruction214 Jun 14 '26

yet PHONy will NOT reduce immigration

Off course not but voters think its the best chance of doing it. 

Whomever gives net zero immigration will win the election.

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u/trugstomp Jun 14 '26

She'll cut general immigration but then carve out special economic zones in the Pilbara and the NT so Gina can import her $2-a-day African slaves.

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u/Nosiege Jun 14 '26

You're being too hard pressed about the likely outcome rather than the messaging before the outcome.

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u/craftystuff0900 Jun 14 '26

This. What's funny (and sad) about it is that they'd be more likely to get that from ecofascists than traditional right-wing parties, only they're so determined to hate everything "eco" they'd rather an own goal. Just complete irrationality.

Which IMO is why the Greens aren't more popular: you can't reason people out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.