Curtin's Cast Episode 67 - 2 September 2026 - What's Roiling Generation X?

They’re the generation politics forgot — and they may now be among the angriest in Australia. Nick Dyrenfurth and Kos Samaras go deep on the latest RedBridge/AFR generational polling, which has One Nation at an extraordinary 35 per cent among Gen X, Labor on 28 and the Coalition languishing at 19. Even more strikingly, Gen X voters split almost evenly between Anthony Albanese and Pauline Hanson for preferred prime minister, while Angus Taylor trails far behind. Why is a generation raised through recession, restructuring, globalisation, deindustrialisation, the housing boom, the GFC and Covid turning away from the political establishment? Kos explores the Gen X “sandwich”: mortgages still to pay, adult children who cannot afford to leave home, ageing parents needing care and retirement no longer looking quite as secure as promised. Nick and Kos ask whether the revolt is driven by economics, disappointed expectations or a potent mix of material insecurity and cultural unease — and why Gen X appears willing to trust Labor on some services while turning overwhelmingly to One Nation on immigration. They also examine the Victorian numbers and what they mean for Ben Carroll’s Labor government, the Coalition and One Nation ahead of November. Is Gen X moving right — or has the generation that did what it was told simply become politically homeless?