Stuart Bonds made ‘racist’ and ‘divisive’ comments. But One Nation is showing no sign of dumping the NSW candidate

Comments draw condemnation

Bonds made the remarks in a Facebook video from a Sydney anti-immigration rally on Sunday. He argued that without support for Australian mothers having Australian children, other cultures’ children would be brought up in Australia.

NSW Premier Chris Minns called the comments “frankly outrageous and racist”. The state government passed motions in both houses censuring Bonds, who is not yet a member. In an interview with ABC Upper Hunter on Wednesday, Bonds cited data showing the share of Australians born overseas rose from 10% in 1945 to 32% in 2025. He did not mention that the share reached 32.4% in 1891, the earliest year for which data is available.

Party keeps him on ticket

One Nation has not indicated it will remove Bonds from its ticket for the 2027 NSW election. This week, however, the party’s Victorian branch disendorsed a lower-house candidate over an old social media post calling Hitler the GOAT.

Bonds also said Australia’s birthrate was below the 2.1 needed to replace the population and asked what people expected to happen. NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey told the ABC that Bonds’ comments were not grounded in reality.

Election influence in focus

One Nation’s polling has raised questions about its role after the March state election. Minns has not ruled out a confidence and supply arrangement with the party, while the Australian Financial Review reported that many of her MPs privately expect a Coalition with One Nation.

Former ABC election analyst Antony Green said Bonds’ remarks played into Labor’s hands. Deputy Premier Prue Car, whose electorate of Londonderry is among the seats in question, criticised the comments during question time on Tuesday.

Former Labor strategist Kos Samaras, now a director at polling group Redbridge, said the remarks could alienate moderate Liberal voters in Sydney but might work in some parts of NSW. He said One Nation could make gains in regional areas, including Labor-held Hunter seats.

Preferences remain uncertain

NSW uses optional preferential voting, unlike Victoria, so lower-house preference flows are not guaranteed when voters go to the polls in March. Bonds said on Tuesday that he was a patriotic Australian coalminer with strong views. He also told the ABC that if the Coalition had a problem with facts, as he said Labor did, “then maybe it will.”