One Nation Senator's Fringe Beliefs Resurface Amid Poll Surge
Malcolm Roberts, the One Nation senator from Queensland, has come under renewed scrutiny for a series of conspiracy theories he has espoused on fringe podcasts, including claims that a global elite is driving the shift to green energy and that Covid-19 vaccines were bioweapons designed to control the world. The 71-year-old, who was elected a decade ago and is the longest-serving One Nation member after party leader Pauline Hanson, has long promoted such views, but they have gained fresh attention as the party has surged in opinion polls over the first half of 2026, briefly surpassing both the Coalition and Labor before slipping slightly in recent weeks.
Roberts' Podcast Comments: Chemtrails, Vaccines, and Global Control
Roberts has made a series of statements on niche podcasts that have been highlighted by national newspapers. In one interview, he claimed it was “highly likely” the US military was conducting chemtrail trials—a conspiracy theory that aircraft spray toxic chemicals to manipulate weather or control populations—though he acknowledged he had no evidence. In a June podcast, he asserted without evidence that Covid vaccines were “killer” “bioweapons” and that the US defense department had a “major say” in their development and control. In November 2025, he claimed that the United Nations and the World Economic Forum were destroying democracies by doing the bidding of ultra-wealthy asset managers Blackrock, Vanguard, and State Street to create a “new world economic order.” “These countries think that they’re democracies. They’re not. They’re controlled by the media, controlled by the big banks, controlled by Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street,” Roberts said.
Political Reactions and Pressure on Hanson
Senior Liberal figures, who have been reluctant to attack Hanson directly as One Nation draws support from their base, have been quicker to condemn Roberts. Opposition leader Angus Taylor said on Thursday, “There’s a long list of things that [Roberts] said. The question here for Pauline Hanson is: what is she going to do about it? She’s over in Italy right now living it up.” Hanson is under pressure over a “fact-finding” mission to the UK where she met far-right activist and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson, as well as a Mediterranean trip with Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart, as first published by the AFR.
Roberts' Response and History of Fringe Beliefs
Roberts responded on social media, criticizing the media reports as “selective cherry picking and dishonest distortions by mainstream media to mislead Australians on behalf of their uniparty mates.” He added, “First they came for Pauline [Hanson]. Then they came for Barnaby [Joyce]. Now it’s my turn.” Roberts’ advocacy of fringe beliefs predates his parliamentary career. He was a project leader for the climate-denial group Galileo Movement and in 2011 sent a pseudolegal affidavit to then Prime Minister Julia Gillard demanding exemption from the carbon tax. In his maiden Senate speech in September 2016, he praised the UK’s Brexit vote and called for an “Aus-exit” from the United Nations, describing the UN as “unelected swill.” Shadow industry minister Andrew Hastie, increasingly critical of One Nation, said, “Pauline Hanson wants to be prime minister of this country, so her and her team deserve proper scrutiny. And when you find out that people like Senator Malcolm Roberts are talking about chemtrails and other sorts of odd things, they’re not really focused on delivering good economic solutions for Australian people to improve our standard of living.” Roberts was approached for comment.
