I was on the ground in Melbourne ahead of the Nepean by-election when I was alerted to a protester outside a One Nation event. What followed was an entertaining back-and-forth that exposed deep divisions over race, immigration and political identity. It showed me just how misinformed the Australian public is after years and years of radical left-wing indoctrination.

The exchange quickly turned to the definition of racism, a favourite subject of the far left. When I asked whether it was acceptable to be racist towards white people, the protester replied, “It’s not as bad as being racist against black or brown people.” Pressed further, she added, “Yeah, when you hate a race.” But when challenged on whether hatred of white people met that same definition, she insisted, “No, because white people have the superiority. They are the ones in power.”

I questioned whether that view stripped individuals like my colleague Rukshan Fernando of their agency. He responded plainly: “No, I don’t lack power.” I then asked, “Do you not see how that comment itself is racist?”

The sole protester had earlier described attendees inside as “uninformed” and suggested their approach to crime was flawed. “They say they’re going to fight crime by getting more police. That’s not how you fight crime. You need to fight crime by fighting poverty,” she said, a common notion that appeals to good-hearted Aussies on the left side of politics.

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Inside the venue, however, attendees pushed back strongly against claims of ignorance. One supporter told me, “I’m a professional structural engineer, so I’m fully qualified and chartered,” while One Nation and State Secretary for the Victorian branch Bianca Collecchia told me university education is “all indoctrination.”

Immigration became a central flashpoint. The protester argued, “People need to come here. Some people are escaping dangerous situations in their country,” while attendees countered that limiting migration was not inherently racist. I put it to her directly: “How does it make you racist to not want to bring more people into a country that’s struggling to survive with who’s here already?”

Tensions escalated when she claimed, “Mostly,” in response to whether One Nation voters were racist. Yet when challenged on specific individuals inside the event, she conceded, “Not the ones in here, but other One Nation supporters I’ve spoken to.”

Supporters repeatedly pointed to economic pressures, particularly housing. One attendee argued, “It creates a housing crisis. It creates issues on jobs,” while another added that the government’s priority should be “your own citizens first.”

The discussion also turned to Pauline Hanson, with the protester criticising her record and supporters defending her, insisting she was “telling the truth.”

As the night wrapped up, the divide remained stark. Inside, supporters expressed confidence in their movement, while outside, a single protester stood firm in opposition … a snapshot of the broader political tensions shaping the by-election in Nepean.