Young Australians struggle with family politics as One Nation support rises
Young Australians are navigating complex family dynamics as they disagree with their parents' support for One Nation. For some, it's a challenge to understand and accept their loved ones' views, but others believe that their relationships can withstand their differences in opinion.
For many young Australians, family politics can be a delicate matter, particularly when their views diverge from those of their parents. Bronte Woolley, a 21-year-old, finds herself at odds with her mother's conservative views, which align with those of the One Nation party.
"The rest of our family is all quite conservative-minded and has the same beliefs as my mum does," she said. "I definitely get more agitated about it than she does. I do try and dig under her fingernails a little bit."
Bronte's mum, Kelly, acknowledges the difference in opinion, but says they "agree to disagree". "I do find a lot of what she says is very much an eye-opener for me," Kelly said. "Because I wouldn't have seen things that way."
Recent research has shown a significant rise in One Nation's support, particularly among older generations. A RedBridge poll found that Gen Z is the least likely demographic to vote for One Nation, while the party's biggest supporters come from the Gen X and baby boomer cohorts.
This shift in support has led to an increase in family fallouts over political differences, according to Relationships Australia. The organisation's national executive officer, Nick Tebbey, attributes this rise to "grievance-based politics".
"Political mismatch and that real divergence of beliefs is actually incredibly on the rise because we're seeing such a proliferation of opinion-based news and grievance-based politics," he said. "We're more likely to judge harshly our immediate family members because we know them better."
For Sarah, a 21-year-old second-generation migrant, understanding her father's support for One Nation has been a challenge. "It's easier for people to be, like: 'I hate my parents, they support One Nation, how dare they.' But I think it's so much harder for me to think that way because it's more complicated than that," she said.
Sarah initially felt "anger and confusion" towards her father before trying to understand his perspective. "It's a survival tactic to protect himself against people who view all immigrants as bad," she said.
Despite the challenges, Bronte and her mum believe that their relationship can withstand their differences in opinion. "We both have that understanding that we do have that difference of opinion," Kelly said. "I don't think it's ever really come between us."
Bronte added that she wouldn't choose someone with conservative views romantically, but she can still love and care for her mum regardless of their differences. "You don't really get to choose your family," she said. "I think it is also eye-opening to me that you are able to love somebody regardless of the way they vote."