Victorian Liberal Party Considers Preference Strategy with One Nation for November Election

Apr 26, 2026, 14:26

Introduction

The Victorian Liberal Party is evaluating a strategic plan that would place One Nation ahead of the Labor Party in the upcoming state election on November 28.

Main Body

Internal reports suggest that the party's five-member strategy committee intends to prefer One Nation over Labor as a general rule, unless specific candidate issues occur. Although a spokesperson claimed that no formal decision has been made, current voting guides for the Nepean by-election already show a preference for One Nation over independent candidate Tracee Hutchison. One party member described this move as a sign of good faith between the two groups. This shift comes as One Nation's popularity grows. According to data from Resolve Political Monitor, One Nation received 21 percent of the primary vote in recent polls, while Labor and the Coalition received 27 and 29 percent respectively. This follows an election in South Australia where One Nation's success caused the Liberal Party to lose significant representation. Jim Reed, the founder of Resolve, emphasized that this trend shows voters are dissatisfied with the traditional two-party system and want to remove the Labor government. However, some critics, including former Premier Steve Bracks, argued that this strategy gives too much legitimacy to One Nation and could weaken center-right parties. Furthermore, pollster Kos Samaras asserted that the party faces a contradiction: while this move might secure right-wing votes, it could alienate voters in Melbourne's suburbs. This could put key seats like Hawthorn, Kew, and Malvern at risk. Additionally, some local members in Nepean have criticized the selection of candidate Anthony Marsh, leading some to support an independent candidate instead.

Conclusion

The Victorian Liberal Party continues to debate its strategy, trying to balance the goal of defeating Labor against the risk of losing urban voters and supporting a right-wing minor party.

Vocabulary Learning

contradiction (n.)
inconsistency / a big difference between two things that are said or done by the same person, so that they cannot both be true矛盾；抵觸
Example:There is a clear contradiction between his claims of being environmental and his frequent use of a private jet.
emphasized (v.)
stressed / to show that something is very important or worth giving attention to強調；著重
Example:The teacher emphasized the importance of checking your work before submitting it.
evaluating (v.)
assessing / to judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something評估；評價
Example:The committee is evaluating the potential impact of the new policy on local businesses.
representation (n.)
presence / the fact of having people who will speak and act for you in an official situation代表；議席
Example:Women are seeking better representation in the national parliament.
strategic (adj.)
tactical / helping to achieve a plan, for example in business or politics戰略性的；策略上的
Example:The company made a strategic decision to expand its operations into the Asian market.

Sentence Learning

The Victorian Liberal Party is evaluating a strategic plan that would place One Nation ahead of the Labor Party in the upcoming state election on November 28.
Relative Clause: The word "that" introduces a defining relative clause that specifies the nature of the "strategic plan."關係子句: 「that」引導一個限定性關係子句，用於說明該「strategic plan」（戰略計劃）的性質。
Although a spokesperson claimed that no formal decision has been made, current voting guides for the Nepean by-election already show a preference for One Nation over independent candidate Tracee Hutchison.
Passive Voice: The phrase "has been made" uses the present perfect passive to focus on the status of the decision in a formal report.被動語態: 「has been made」使用現在完成式的被動語態，在正式報告中強調決定的狀態。
This follows an election in South Australia where One Nation's success caused the Liberal Party to lose significant representation.
Relative Adverb: "Where" is used as a relative adverb to introduce a clause that provides context about the election results in South Australia.關係副詞: 「where」作為關係副詞，引導一個子句以提供有關南澳選舉結果的背景資訊。
Furthermore, pollster Kos Samaras asserted that the party faces a contradiction: while this move might secure right-wing votes, it could alienate voters in Melbourne's suburbs.
Linking Word: "Furthermore" is a conjunctive adverb used to introduce an additional, formal point that supports the previous argument.連接詞: 「Furthermore」（此外）是一個連接副詞，用於引入一個支持前述論點的正式補充要點。
However, some critics, including former Premier Steve Bracks, argued that this strategy gives too much legitimacy to One Nation and could weaken center-right parties.
Contrast Adverb: "However" is used to introduce a counter-argument or a contrasting perspective to the previously mentioned strategy.對比副詞: 「However」（然而）用於引導一個與前述策略相反的論點或對比視角。