The poll surge now drives a fresh pitch in South Australia, with Cory Bernardi joining Pauline Hanson’s party places in the top spot on its Legislative Council ticket.
A party newsletter told supporters polling put national support at 26 per cent. It urged members to turn that momentum into votes on March 21.
Poll Surge Meets Upper House Preference Math
Bernardi will contest the Legislative Council, which uses proportional representation.
That system makes quota math and preferences decisive. One Nation will need just over 8 per cent to win a seat, either on first preferences or through preference flows.
Bernardi Says SA Lacks Opposition
At the Adelaide press conference announcing his candidacy, Bernardi attacked the major parties.
“There’s been no opposition in this state, it’s as if the only competition we have between the two major parties is who’s going to manage the social, economic and cultural decline slightly less badly than the alternative,” he said.
“We can’t accept that anymore.”
He also promised a stronger challenge.
“Whether we have one seat, we have five seats or 22 seats, we will be the strongest voice of opposition that this government has ever faced,” he said.
Party Predicts “Major Shake-up” After Bernardi Joins
In a February 4 post, the party called Bernardi’s recruitment “a major shake-up for South Australian politics.”
It said he would run “at the top of our ticket” and described him as bringing strength and experience.
The post said South Australians “deserve a real opposition” and signalled the party was “just getting started.”
Pauline Hanson greets supporters in Adelaide February 3rd 2026, NewsBlaze photo.
Polls, Not Votes
Later, in a supporter email, ADVANCE’s Matthew Sheahan urged caution about reading too much into the headline numbers.
“It is important to remember that the bounce in polling numbers for One Nation is just that; they are polls, not votes,” he wrote.
Sheahan said ADVANCE data suggested the lift “is largely a protest vote” and it remains to be seen how those intentions translate on election day.
National Numbers Don’t Decide State Outcomes
Our earlier report on Antony Green’s seat-by-seat watchlist makes the same core point. Elections do not fall on a single headline number.
Green’s analysis focuses on where support concentrates, and where preference flows change who reaches the final count.
Cory Bernardi appears with Pauline Hanson in Adelaide after being named lead Legislative Council candidate for the SA election. NewsBlaze photo.
The poll surge may boost minor parties statewide. It also forces major parties to plan for three-way contests and unpredictable preferences.
