Potential One Nation deal has to be ‘two-way street’
Tess Ikonomou |
A senior coalition figure has reopened the door to a potential deal with Pauline Hanson but insists any agreement would have to be a “two-way street”.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan said he would encourage voters to put Labor last, and that the coalition would discuss doing a preference deal with One Nation.
It comes despite Opposition Leader Angus Taylor having ruled out any alliance between the conservative parties.
“It’s got to be a two-way street,” Senator Canavan told Seven’s Sunrise on Monday.
“I will do everything I can to change and kick out this government. And that will of course be working with other political parties, not just One Nation.”
Support for One Nation has risen two points to 31 per cent, according to a Redbridge Group/Accent Research poll.
Labor’s primary vote dipped slightly to 29 per cent, down one point since the poll’s last survey, while the coalition gained four points to 22 per cent.
Senator Hanson on Monday dismissed concerns hurdles at Victoria’s state election, due to be held in November, would upset momentum on a federal level.
“There’s a lot of people from Melbourne – especially Melbourne, not just rural and regional Victoria, but across Melbourne itself – who are fed up with the way the state has gone,” she told reporters.
Senator Hanson has recruited Chris Taylor, a one-time policy advisor to former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison, to serve as her chief of staff.
The Australian newspaper reported James Ashby, Senator Hanson’s former chief of staff, will be freed up to oversee day-to-day operations for the party.
Senator Hanson was lucky to have Mr Taylor join her ranks, Acting Opposition Leader Jane Hume said.
“But for me you can’t change football teams. I barrack for St Kilda. I don’t think I could ever find myself bearing barracking for Collingwood,” she told reporters.
The RedBridge poll showed the Greens on 10 per cent, down four points, with support for all other parties registering at eight per cent, a dip of one point.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she was not concerned about the party’s showing in the poll, but took aim at Senator Hanson barring media outlets from her press conferences.
“This is a person who is running scared of scrutiny, a politician who thinks that she should have the right to say whatever she wants, but no one else should have the right to ask questions,” she said.
AAP