Pauline Hanson, Barnaby Joyce zoom up the politicians’ likeability ladder
After years being among the least-liked MPs in the federal parliament, Pauline Hanson enters 2026 in an unusual position – liked by voters.
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- Resolve Political Monitor
The surge in support for Pauline Hanson is built upon a huge increase in her likeability among the nation’s voters, with new polling revealing she will go into 2026 more liked than at almost any time in her political career.
The Resolve Political Monitor of the likeability of all federal politicians shows Hanson, and her newest MP Barnaby Joyce, have enjoyed some of the largest turnarounds in support by voters of more than 50 people tracked by the survey over the past year.
Pauline Hanson has enjoyed a surge in her personal likeability levels alongside her newest MP, Barnaby Joyce.Credit: Andrew Pearson
Hanson, whose party is enjoying its strongest opinion poll results in its history, finished 2024 with a likeability rating of minus 13. Although among the lowest ratings of any MP, it was an improvement on the minus 25 she recorded at the end of 2023.
But she finishes this year in positive territory with a rating of plus 3 – a 16-point turnaround.
It’s a similar story for Joyce, who defected from the Nationals, the party he had represented in parliament since 2005, to One Nation this month.
Joyce finished 2024 with likeability rating of minus 22. He finishes this year at minus 4.
While Joyce’s popularity has soared, he is just one of two MPs to still have a negative likeability rating, coming in at minus four.
The only other person underwater in terms of likeability remains Lidia Thorpe. But she has enjoyed the biggest improvement of any MP, going from minus 41 to minus 12. More than half of all MPs tracked by Resolve ended 2024 with negative likeability.
The survey, conducted for this masthead by research company Resolve Strategic, is based on questions to 1606 voters nationwide about whether they have heard of a politician and whether they have a positive, neutral or negative view of that person.
It was conducted before the Bondi attack that claimed the lives of 15 people.
Resolve director Jim Reed said the sharp improvement in Hanson’s standing had really improved through the second half of the year.
“It’s really in line with the lift in support we’re seeing for One Nation,” he said.
