Barnaby Joyce Endorses Jacinta Allan as 'Great for One Nation' in Victoria
Barnaby Joyce has declared he wants Jacinta Allan to stay on as Victorian Labor leader, claiming she is 'great for One Nation'. The right-wing party is increasingly focusing on Victoria following its success in the South Australian state election last weekend. Victoria is set to go to the polls in November, and successive opinion polls have identified Allan as the country's least popular premier.
Labor Panic Over Declining Approval Ratings
This has prompted panic within Victorian Labor, with senior party figures reportedly discussing whether she should be replaced before the end of the year. Asked about Allan's declining approval ratings in Canberra on Tuesday, Joyce said: 'We want Jacinta to stay, we think Jacinta is great for One Nation.' He went on to accuse Labor of mismanaging the state, calling its performance in government a 'debacle' and warning that Victoria's economy is being driven into the ground.
'What was once the great industrial heartland of Victoria is now at risk of becoming the economic basket case of Australia, and that is absolutely not what Victorians wanted,' he said. Joyce's comments follow a new Freshwater poll finding Labor's primary vote has fallen to 27 per cent, down from the 36.6 per cent it secured under former premier Dan Andrews in 2022.
Polling Data Reveals Significant Shifts
The Coalition leads on 30 per cent, with One Nation at 20 per cent and the Greens at 14 per cent. By a two-party preferred measure, the Coalition leads 52–48, representing a seven-point swing from Labor's 2022 result. On a uniform swing, Labor could lose as many as 15 seats at the 2026 election. The results have heightened concern inside Victorian Labor, particularly in the wake of last weekend's South Australian election.
While Labor achieved a decisive victory there—its largest majority in the state's history—ALP insiders attribute the result to Premier Peter Malinauskas's strong personal popularity and the collapse of the SA Liberal Party. By contrast, Allan recorded a net approval rating of minus 32 per cent in the latest polling. Jess Wilson, widely seen as having steadied and united a previously warring Victorian Liberal Party, records an 18 per cent approval rating, 50 points higher.
Electoral Threats and Regional Vulnerabilities
The Daily Mail understands Labor is increasingly worried about potential swings in its traditional strongholds in Melbourne's western suburbs, where One Nation improved its vote in a similar fashion to gains seen in Adelaide's outer suburbs. Liberal sources say eastern-suburb electorates like Kew and Malvern are now more at risk from independents, leaving Labor more exposed to One Nation’s rise across working-class districts.
But the Coalition also carries its own weaknesses in regional Victoria, particularly in National-held seats. One Nation’s capture of two rural South Australian seats on Saturday, both long-held Liberal strongholds, has highlighted the threat. Counting is still underway, and One Nation could ultimately secure as many as four seats, underscoring the shifting political landscape ahead of the Victorian election.
