Chemtrails to Covid: Malcolm Roberts' conspiracy theory beliefs under scrutiny amid One ...
theguardian.com
A Queensland senator who believes in chemtrails and Covid conspiracies is gaining poll ground — raising the question of whether fringe beliefs fuel rather than sink political careers.
PopulismInstitutional DistrustSocial Identity TheoryFringe Politics
Theory Briefing
- Malcolm Roberts, a sitting Queensland senator, holds documented beliefs in chemtrail and Covid conspiracy theories now drawing fresh scrutiny.
- One Nation's surge in polls has made Roberts' fringe views a live political question rather than a fringe curiosity.
- The pattern suggests voters may reward, or at least not punish, politicians who voice distrust of mainstream institutions.
- Roberts' visibility as a conspiracy-aligned figure grows precisely as his party's electoral fortunes rise, complicating the idea that such beliefs are disqualifying.