The survey, conducted for this masthead by research company Resolve Strategic, is based on questions to 1606 voters nationwide about whether they have heard of a politician and whether they have a positive, neutral or negative view of that person.
It was conducted before the Bondi attack that claimed the lives of 15 people.
Resolve director Jim Reed said the sharp improvement in Hanson’s standing had really improved through the second half of the year.
“It’s really in line with the lift in support we’re seeing for One Nation,” he said.
Reed said that after the deep negativity of last year had given way to a much more positive outlook by voters towards their elected representatives.
“There’s been this big, general lift year-on-year among voters who’ve gone from their deeply negative feelings to something a bit more upbeat,” he said.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie, who was the most-liked politician in 2024, remains at the top of the rankings at positive 15, although she has been joined by ACT independent senator David Pocock.
Senator Jacqui Lambie has been joined as the nation’s most likeable MP by David Pocock.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Pocock’s likeability jumped by 10 points from 2024.
Anne Aly, the small business minister who joined cabinet after the election, is Labor’s most liked federal politician, with a likeability rating of plus 12. She is narrowly ahead of Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, both at plus 11.
The most liked Liberal MP is Tim Wilson (plus 11), who took back the Melbourne seat of Goldstein from teal independent Zoe Daniel at the election.
Other independents remain well liked, including Zali Steggall, Helen Haines and Monique Ryan (all at plus 8), Kate Chaney and Sophie Scamps (plus 7) and Allegra Spender (plus 5).
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had one of the biggest turnarounds in fortunes, going from minus 17 in 2024 to plus 9. Liberal leader Sussan Ley also enjoyed a sizeable improvement, going from zero to plus 8.
Reed noted the result for Albanese would have been influenced by the positive end to the parliamentary year when the government passed legislation such as its reforms to environmental laws and his wedding. But it was conducted before the Bondi shootings for which Albanese has been under political attack.
A separate Resolve poll taken of 1010 people in the week after the Bondi shootings revealed Albanese’s net likeability fell 14 points, from plus 9 to minus 5, which is on par with the result from September, while for Ley it dropped from plus 8 to plus 1.
This poll has a higher margin of error than the pre-Bondi survey.
Other large positive movements were recorded for Treasurer Jim Chalmers (from minus 7 to positive 5), independent MP Bob Katter (minus 15 to positive 5), Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles (minus 5 to positive 6) and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke (minus 5 to positive 7).
Of the more than 50 politicians tracked by Resolve, just one, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, suffered a fall in net likeability.
Price, whose profile soared due to her role opposing the Voice referendum, quit the National Country Party soon after this year’s election to join the Liberal Party. Despite a five-point drop in net likeability, she remains in positive territory.
