Victorian voters are warming to Pauline Hanson's One Nation after shunning her party at the federal election, with nearly one in ten people indicating support in a new poll.
Ms Hanson's return to the Senate has seen a bounce in her popularity in the traditionally progressive state, with One Nation capturing 9.4 per cent of the state primary in a new ReachTEL poll of 1649 Victorians.
![Nearly one in 10 Victorians would vote for Pauline Hanson's party if the state election were held this week.](/web/20161213090624im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/0/h/u/m/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gta0hc.png/1481608393437.jpg)
At the federal election One Nation won just 1.8 per cent of the Victorian senate vote.
Her resurgence is most problematic for the Nationals, which polled just 3.7 per cent in the poll. A Fairfax analysis of the federal election results in Victoria showed she was most popular in Nationals held seats.
The results follows declarations from One Nation and other minor parties that they would venture into Victorian politics, with the upper house a ripe target for voter discontent
The poll, taken on December 7, showed Labor with 33.5 per cent of the primary, marginally ahead of the Liberals on 32.5 per cent. Both results were well below the 2014 election, where Labor won 38 per cent and the Liberals 36.5 per cent.
The Australian Conservation Foundation and Wilderness Society commissioned a series of ReachTEL polls, which found strong voter support in the inner city for the creation of a Great Forest National Park in Victoria's central highlands.
Three inner city polls also show Labor also faces a major battle, with the Greens now leading Labor in the primary vote in Northcote, with 40.5 per cent of the primary vote.
Photo: Rob Gunstone
A survey of 815 Northcote voters showed Women's Minister Fiona Richardson, above, was in deep trouble; 40.5 per cent of voters declared they would back the Greens. Only 34.3 per cent said they would vote Labor.
In neighbouring Richmond and Brunswick, Labor still has its nose in front of the Greens. Greens success in the inner city at the 2018 election could result in a hung parliament.
In Planning Minister Richard Wynne's Richmond, where 809 people were polled, the ALP leads the Greens 32 to 30 per cent on primary. How the 20 per cent of declared Liberal voters send their preferences will determine the winner of what was once a Labor stronghold.
In Brunswick, former minister Jane Garrett's primary vote sits at 34.5 per cent compared to the Greens 31.9 per cent, in a poll of 847 people. The Liberals sit on 14.3 per cent.
The polls showed there was relatively low awareness of the push for a new Great Forest National Park, but when pressed, three out of four inner city voters said they would support a new park.
And critically around half the voters in the three seats would be more likely to vote for the incumbent if they supported a new national park.
Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Jess Abrahams said the polling also showed that more than 90 per cent of Victorians wanted state forests to be a place for wildlife, recreation, tourism and carbon storage.
"If the Premier wants a nature conservation legacy to be proud of, he must step up to the plate and create the Great Forest National Park," he said.
Northcote (815 voters) – Primary vote, taken November 22
- Greens 40.6%
- Labor 34.3%
- Liberal 15.7%
- Other/independent 6.5%
- Undecided 2.8%
Brunswick (847 voters) – Primary vote November 22
- Labor 34.5%
- Greens 31.9%
- Liberals 14.3%
- Other/independent 8.4%
- Undecided 11%
Richmond (809 voters) – primary vote November 22
- Labor 32%
- Greens 30%
- Liberals 20.3%
- Other/independent 6.9%
- Undecided 10.8%
Source: ReachTEL