Max Chandler-Mather, the former Member of Parliament and firebrand housing spokesperson, is calling for the Australian Greens to adopt a strategy of progressive economic populism to recapture voters who have abandoned major parties for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
The shift in strategy comes as Chandler-Mather takes on a novel leadership role as the executive director of The Greens Institute, the party’s internal think tank. He is tasked with closing “capacity gaps” that were exposed during the 2025 federal election, a poll that saw both Chandler-Mather and former party leader Adam Bandt defeated by Labor candidates in shock results.
Chandler-Mather argues that the current political landscape is defined by a profound disconnect between the “political class” and the lived experience of everyday Australians. He contends that the major parties have become overly reliant on corporate polling and focus groups, leaving a vacuum of representation that right-wing populists are currently filling.
“All major political parties are completely disconnected from ordinary people and ordinary people’s lives, and What we have is as they heavily over-rely on corporate polling and focus groups,” Chandler-Mather said. “If we want to build a mass movement, we need to reforge direct connection with ordinary people.”
A Strategy of Direct Connection and Organic Growth
To implement this vision, Chandler-Mather plans to move away from traditional data-driven campaigning in favor of a massive, grassroots survey of economic and social life across Australia. The initiative will involve organizing thousands of volunteers to conduct face-to-face outreach, mirroring the door-knocking campaigns he previously led in Queensland.
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This approach is designed to build a “genuine organic connection” that serves as the foundation for a policy platform capable of appealing to a majority of the population. Chandler-Mather believes that the current economic system, which he argues prioritizes corporate profits over the needs of vulnerable citizens, has left a segment of the electorate desperate for substantial change.
He cited a personal anecdote from a free breakfast event in Griffith, where a grandparent explained they had switched their support from One Nation to the Greens after the party provided a free meal for their grandchild. For Chandler-Mather, this illustrates that voters moving toward the far-right are often winnable if a progressive alternative can demonstrate a tangible, immediate commitment to their wellbeing.
The One Nation Threat and the ‘Neoliberal’ Void
The urgency of this pivot is underscored by recent polling and electoral gains made by One Nation. In a February Guardian Essential poll, nearly 60% of Australians indicated they were open to voting for the minor party. This sentiment has translated into electoral success, with Pauline Hanson winning four lower house seats in the most recent South Australian state election.
Chandler-Mather suggests that the surge in support for One Nation is a direct result of Labor and the Coalition losing touch with their traditional constituencies. He points to a “perfect storm” of economic pressures:
- Severe housing shortages and soaring rents.
- A persistent high cost of living.
- Stagnant wage growth.
“The reality is if the Greens don’t step up to the challenge, then the void left by Labor and the Liberals will be filled by One Nation, so the task this year is urgent,” he said.
Learning from International Precedents
The blueprint for this “progressive populism” is not entirely new. Chandler-Mather pointed to the success of the UK Greens, led by Zack Polanski. He highlighted the party’s surge in support following a February byelection victory in Gorton and Denton, a seat previously considered a safe stronghold for the Labour Party.
By undoing the “pillars of neoliberalism” and exposing the role of center-left parties—specifically Labor—in maintaining outdated economic systems, Chandler-Mather believes the Australian Greens can replicate this success. His role at the Institute will involve developing broader policies and training party operatives to execute this strategy in upcoming state and federal contests.
Policy Over Personality
When asked to compare the current leadership of Larissa Waters to that of Adam Bandt, who led the party from 2020 to 2025, Chandler-Mather emphasized that the specific approach of a leader is less critical than the underlying policy infrastructure.
Even as acknowledging that different leaders bring different styles to the role, he argued that winning new support is a matter of systemic organization rather than individual charisma. “That isn’t solved by one leader or another, that’s solved by the hard work of building out the infrastructure that the UK Greens have started working on, and we need to start building here in Australia,” he said.
| Driver | Major Party Approach | Progressive Populist Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Data Source | Corporate polling/focus groups | Direct organic community surveys |
| Economic Focus | Neoliberal frameworks | Dismantling corporate profit priority |
| Target Voter | Traditional base/Swing voters | Disaffected voters moving to One Nation |
| Core Grievance | Policy incrementalism | Substantial systemic change |
The immediate focus for the Greens Institute will be the rollout of the national social and economic survey. This effort marks a strategic pivot for the party, attempting to bridge the gap between urban environmentalism and the economic anxieties of regional and working-class Australians.
The success of this initiative will likely be measured by the party’s ability to translate these organic connections into polling gains ahead of the next electoral cycle. Further updates on the Greens’ policy shifts and the results of the national survey are expected as the party prepares its campaign infrastructure for the coming year.
We invite our readers to share their perspectives on the rise of populism in Australian politics in the comments below.
