Liberal frontbencher fails to rule out One Nation team up

Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan has refused rule out a political alliance with One Nation as the populist minor party continues to lead the Coalition in nationwide polls.

Mr Tehan was asked seven times during an interview on Sunday if he would back joining forces with One Nation.

“What I want to be part of is a Liberal Party and a National Party that, in coalition, runs this country again,” he told ABC’s Insiders.

Pressed, he said bringing One Nation into the fold was “not even being talked about” and that he was “very happy being a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party”.

Pressed further on if that would change should One Nation’s polling power turned into seats at the next federal election, Mr Tehan fired back: “Will the Labor Party be part of a coalition with the Greens?”

Fellow Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie last week came out firmly against One Nation, rejecting leader Pauline Hanson’s monocultural vision for Australia and stating he would not be “pushed around by One Nation, nor will I bow the knee to them”.

Asked if he shared Mr Hastie’s view, Mr Tehan said his colleague was “a very, very strong Liberal and he wants us to govern with the National Party”.

“And so what I am saying is, no, we do not want to be part of a coalition with One Nation,” he continued.

“We want to be part of a coalition with the Liberal Party and the National Party, which does the right thing by this country, doesn’t lie to people before elections and then do the complete opposite afterward, and has an agenda that will improve living standards in this nation going ahead.”

The comments came after a tough sitting fortnight for the Coalition, with Angus Taylor hesitant to voice support for multiculturalism, struggling to land policy attacks on the Albanese government and grappling with moderate MPs politically anxious about One Nation’s rise.

The Opposition Leader dismissed a call from his social services spokeswoman Melissa Mcintosh for a “rebrand” and behind closed doors directed the Liberal party room to ignore One Nation and focus on core economic issues, such as inflation, housing supply and immigration over the five-week winter break.

‘Axis of grievance’

Addressing the NSW Labor State Conference later on Sunday, Anthony Albanese told party faithful the opposition was stuck in an “ideological cul-de-sac”.

Accusing the opposition of trying to block his government’s “real change” agenda, the Prime Minister said “the Liberals think that the way forward is to change their name”.

“The problem is not their brand, it is their product. It is not their sales pitch, it is their policies. It is not what they call themselves, it is who they are,” he said.

“It is the race to the bottom that all three right wing parties are caught up in.

“They are the axis of grievance – each trying to be more anti-fairness, more anti-worker, more anti-aspiration.”

Labor has not been immune to One Nation’s surge, weathering heavy swings against it in safe seats in the South Australian state election and dipping below it in state polls in NSW and Victoria.

Mr Albanese has himself taken a hit to his popularity and last month fell below Senator Hanson as preferred prime minister.