Bean Labor MP David Smith says he is not concerned about One Nation targeting his seat at the next federal election, after the party held its first ACT branch meeting.
The far-right populist party led by Pauline Hanson attracted "more than 250 people" to the meeting in Bean on Saturday, a spokesperson told The Canberra Times.
Mr Smith, who held a safe Labor seat before independent candidate Jessie Price all but wiped out his margin at last year's federal poll, said on Monday when asked if he was worried about a challenge from One Nation: "No. Look, I'll stand at the Hyperdome, or South.Point, if you like, on Saturday for an amazing display of what our community is."
That's when the Tuggeranong shopping centre hosted the AUSINDIA Fair, which Mr Smith said reflected the electorate being a "strong, inclusive community."
"You can't take anything for granted, but we have a really strong record of welcoming people from everywhere around the globe," he said.
"I know what Canberrans and what our community is like, and they all pull together."
Mr Smith held Bean on a 12.9 per cent margin before last year's election slashed it to just 0.3 per cent.
The MP paid tribute to the Charles Weston School in Coombs, where, "if you go in the door, you can see the word 'welcome' in more than 40 languages, because that's the number of languages that are basically talked about and talked in that school."
Asked if his constituents were turning to One Nation because they were disaffected with the major parties, Mr Smith said he did not think Labor was the problem.
"We are getting some feedback that there are some former Coalition voters that are thinking of switching, but ... it's only here and there," he said.
Senator Hanson told the National Press Club earlier this month that she had strong support in the traditionally safe Labor ACT, while also saying she tried to avoid Canberra.
The One Nation leader's address followed polling that put her ahead of Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister, but Labor has this week regained the lead.
A Canberra Liberals spokesperson said: "One Nation have made it clear what they think of Canberra and Canberrans. The Liberals are working hard to earn back the trust of Canberrans with our clear plan for a fairer, freer and better Australia."
One Nation held a Canberra launch event in October and several meetings in Bean in the lead-up to officially establishing the branch on June 27.
The party plans to run a candidate in every federal electorate at the 2028 election.
Branches are yet to be established in the other two ACT electorates, Fenner (held by assistant minister for competition, charities and treasury Andrew Leigh) or Canberra (held by Alicia Payne).
Ms Price - who came within 700 votes of winning Bean last year - said she was keen to understand whether voters who expressed support or sympathy for One Nation were drawn to the party's policies, "or if they want to send a message to the major parties".
"Because if it's the latter - we already have a strong community independent movement here in Bean," she said.
"And our community is stronger for the richness of our diversity; it is a strength for us to draw from in finding better solutions for all of us."
Ms Price, who gave up her German citizenship to run for Parliament last year, said many in Bean had family connections overseas and rejected One Nation's "appalling, divisive and demonstrably inaccurate rhetoric" about immigration.
She said while there was "a lot of genuine hurt and pain in our community" with people feeling ignored, scared and left behind by the major parties, One Nation did not present a credible alternative.
"Let us put the blame where it rightfully belongs," Ms Price said.
"It is not immigrants who have neglected housing policy and tax reforms that would benefit ordinary people rather than the very few who are already at the top."
Ms Price's 2025 near-win in Bean was achieved with 26 per cent of the primary vote (27,120 votes), with a steep decline in support for the Canberra Liberals helping to boost her two-candidate preferred vote to 49.66 per cent.
She all but wiped out Labor incumbent Mr Smith's margin; it fell from 12.9 per cent to less than 1 per cent.
Mr Smith's primary vote held steady at 40 per cent (42,158 votes), while the Liberals' fell to 23 per cent (23,665 votes) and the Greens to just under 10 per cent (9757 votes).
One Nation did not run a candidate in Bean in 2025. The party attracted 2.7 per cent of the primary vote in Bean in 2022.
The Coalition is yet to decide if it will exchange preferences with One Nation in 2028, but Liberal Party president Tony Abbott has spoken in favour of such a deal.
Ms Price, who opted not to direct preferences at the 2025 election, said she expected to take the same approach next time.
"I trust people to direct their own preferences according to their values."
