Roger and Ann Scott write:
‘Queensland stands out in the [recent] shift to One Nation and so we offer here a Queensland-specific review of the historical context which underlies the impact of One Nation on the current party system. Queensland is sometimes viewed as the party’s core constituency.
‘Past minor parties and independents represented in the Senate from other states had not placed themselves outside the mainstream of political discourse. Recently, however, national polls and public demonstrations in places like suburban Sydney seem to support the view that issues such as race and nationalism are of concern in sections of the community not represented within the prevailing political structures.
‘Queensland, on the other hand, has a long history of accommodating ultra-conservative views within the political process. At times this has taken place within the dominant Country/National Party and, at others, separate parties like One Nation gained direct parliamentary representation.’