Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has criticized One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, stating she has no real answers for the challenges facing Australia and is focused on divisive politics. Speaking from London on August 4th, 2026, Rudd, now global president of the US-based Asia Society think tank, said Hanson’s approach has remained unchanged since she emerged in Queensland over 25 years ago.

Rudd emphasized the difficulty of governing, highlighting the need to address national security, economic growth, environmental sustainability, and essential services such as housing affordability. He contrasted this with Hanson’s politics of division.

On defense matters, Rudd expressed support for Australia’s acquisition of submarines through the AUKUS agreement, calling it a significant enhancement to the Royal Australian Navy’s capabilities and vital for maintaining Australia’s sovereign interests in the Indo-Pacific. He acknowledged that not everyone agrees with the deal and noted that China disapproves of AUKUS.

Rudd also commented on regional security dynamics, noting China’s naval strength with approximately 370 surface ships—surpassing the US fleet of about 290—and a submarine fleet of 60 to 75 vessels, including 15 to 20 nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines. He mentioned the presence of Chinese warships, such as the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, near Sydney.

Regarding Taiwan, Rudd referenced the upcoming return of Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the Communist Party in October 2027 and the January 2028 Taiwanese presidential elections. He said he could not predict how former US President Donald Trump would respond to a Chinese move on Taiwan but stressed the importance of the United States military presence in the region for deterrence.

Notably, Hanson’s One Nation party has seen a boost in popularity throughout 2026, with recent polls showing its primary vote surpassing Labor’s, although Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remains the preferred prime minister.

Sources

Notable Quotes

  • "The hard business of government is to come up with practical responses to each of those challenges." – Kevin Rudd
  • "That's what Ms Hanson's been doing ever since she emerged in my fair state of Queensland, a quarter of a century ago." – Kevin Rudd
  • "This will be a great addition to the Royal Australian Navy's capabilities set in terms of our ability to maintain Australia's own sovereign interests in the Indo-Pacific." – Kevin Rudd
  • "China now has 60 to 75 submarines of which 15 to 20 are nuclear-powered. And a number in addition to that are ballistic missile submarines that are nuclear-armed." – Kevin Rudd
  • "And the Chinese surface fleet is already at some 370 boats, larger than the US surface fleet, of some 290 operational ships as we stand. The Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang was among the Chinese flotilla sailing east of Sydney." – Department of Defence