The media is working overtime trying to explain a “wild reason” for One Nation’s rise, but there’s nothing wild about it at all.

Australians are simply done.

Cost of living is crushing families, housing has become unattainable for many, and communities are changing faster than governments are willing to acknowledge. When people feel ignored for long enough, they start looking for someone who is actually listening.

And that’s exactly what we’re seeing now with Pauline Hanson and One Nation.

New polling shows One Nation’s primary vote has surged to around 24 per cent, putting it ahead of the Coalition in some measures. But what’s even more revealing is who is driving the broader sentiment on immigration.

Go Ad Free

A new survey commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs and conducted by Fox and Hedgehog found that 79 per cent of Australians support slashing annual migration to 100,000 or less.

Even more striking, that view is shared across demographics the political class usually assumes are aligned with the current settings ... including 75 per cent of first-generation migrants, 74 per cent of non-citizens, and 72 per cent of young Australians aged 18 to 24.

The same polling shows 60 per cent of Australians believe there are too many migrants already, and 54 per cent say they no longer recognise the country they grew up in. Almost half believe government is deliberately increasing migration for political advantage.

These aren’t fringe views — they’re mainstream concerns.

Add to that Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing net migration has hit record highs, and you start to understand why the pressure is building.

And despite the labels thrown around by critics, what I’m seeing is simple: ordinary Australians, including migrants who built their lives here, want a system that’s controlled, fair and sustainable.

One Nation is the only party willing to say it out loud.