Mired in One Nation terrain, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor warms to preference deal

Angus Taylor has indicated he’s open to striking preference deals with One Nation as concerns grow inside Liberal ranks that Pauline Hanson’s rising popularity could see the Opposition Leader lose his own outer Sydney seat at the next election.

Closer cooperation between the rival right-wing parties is also being endorsed by new Liberal Party President and former prime minister Tony Abbott as he prepares to embark on a nationwide listening tour aimed at boosting support for the ailing Coalition.

In a message emailed to Liberal party supporters on Tuesday, Mr Abbott said he wanted to speak to hear their ideas and declared the new Federal executive “will support Angus and his team to continue to be bold and resolute”.

“We certainly won’t win the next election as slaves to focus groups and being a little bit less ‘woke’ than Labor.”

“It might take some time to persuade sceptical voters of what I know to be true – namely that the Liberal Party remains the best hope of better government in our country – but I’m confident that, together, we can make Angus Taylor our 32nd Prime Minister for Australia’s sake.”

Speaking to The Australian Financial Review earlier in the day Mr Abbott declared “as a general rule, it makes sense for parties of the right to preference each other just as parties of the left have always done”.

In his new role as federal Liberal President, the former PM would be expected to be involved in discussions with new federal party director Lincoln Folo on any preference deals with One Nation ahead of the next federal election due in 2028.

On Tuesday Mr Taylor made his fourth visit to the marginal Liberal held electorate of Lindsay since replacing Sussan Ley as party leader in February, a Penrith-based seat which his colleagues fear could also fall to One Nation at the next election.

“There’s so many aspirational Australians here. People who want to get ahead. People who want to live the great Australian dream,” Mr Taylor declared while standing next to local member and Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh.

“I love being in this part of the world. It’s close to my own neck of the woods as I say but I’m going to keep coming here because this is where the real heartbeat of aspiration in this country lives.”

Asked about Mr Abbott’s support for the Coalition to swap preferences with One Nation at the next election, the Opposition Leader again indicated he was open to the idea. “We’ll work with others to get rid of a rotten Labor Government,” he said.

“I mean, people are angry around Australia. I see it all the time. They’ve had enough of this rotten Labor Government that’s taking this country in the wrong direction”.

“Obviously, these are decisions that will, ultimately, be made by party organisations over time. But we will work with others to get rid of this rotten Labor Government,” he told reporters.

This week’s Newspoll has confirmed One Nation’s primary vote has now soared past Labor’s for the first time, but more alarmingly for the Coalition its position is down to where it was when Sussan Ley was dumped as leader in February.

Since the election in May last year the Coalition’s primary vote has gone backwards from 31.8 per cent to 18 per cent, while Labor’s support has dropped from 34.6 to 30, and One Nation now boasts the highest party backing at 31.

If that scenario was to be repeated at the time of the next election, due by mid-2028, political experts believe Pauline Hanson’s party could command more than 50 seats in Parliament’s Lower House, well above the Coalition which may be left with just six.

The Nightly has spoken to several opposition figures who believe a number of high-profile colleagues could lose their seats to One Nation at the next election, including Mr Taylor whose NSW electorate of Hume now takes in parts of outer Sydney.

“Angus is facing an uphill battle to keep his seat – just like Peter Dutton did when he had the job. His electorate is now fertile ground for Pauline Hanson, so One Nation and Labor will keep him worried about his own backyard,” one Liberal veteran observed.

“Our party would have been hoping for some sort of recovery following Labor’s disastrous budget, but instead we’ve gone backwards to the same support we had under Sussan when Angus toppled her”.

A Redbridge poll last month showed One Nation winning as many as 14 seats in NSW, comprising nine held by the Coalition, including Taylor’s seat of Hume, as well as five represented by Labor MPs.

The regional seat of Riverina held by former deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who is also considered vulnerable by some Coalition strategists, who are also concerned about One Nation “wiping out” Nationals seats in next year’s state election.

During a visit to regional Victoria, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seized on the latest discussion of preference swaps between conservative parties, again deriding his opponents as “the Liberal One National Party”.

“The problem for Angus Taylor is that if he tries to out One Nation, One Nation, then they become indistinguishable and people more and more will go towards what they see as the real thing,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Bendigo.

“John Howard used to put One Nation last. It says something about how right wing the Liberal One National parties have become.”

The Opposition Leader also suggested Labor’s broken Budget promises were to blame for the Coalition’s worsening polling results and for voters deserting the major parties for One Nation.