Angus Taylor has drawn a firm line in the political sand, ruling out any formal alliance between the Liberal Party and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation despite growing pressure from conservative voters and repeated overtures from the minor party.
The Opposition Leader used a major speech to deliver his strongest attack yet on One Nation, warning that the party’s policies would send Australia down a dangerous economic path and rejecting any suggestion of a coalition arrangement.
“Absolutely not,” Taylor said when asked whether the Liberals would consider governing alongside One Nation if the numbers stacked up after the next election.
The comments come after Hanson floated the possibility of a conservative alliance, arguing that a closer relationship between One Nation, the Liberals and the Nationals could provide a stronger challenge to Labor at the next federal election.
Instead, Taylor accused One Nation of offering expensive promises without explaining how they would be funded, claiming the party’s policies could add enormous pressure to the federal budget, drive inflation higher and push up interest rates.
In a pointed warning to voters considering switching their support, Taylor said backing One Nation would lead to “an eternity of pain” for Australians through higher costs and reduced government services.
The stance represents a significant escalation in tensions on the political right, with the Liberals increasingly concerned about losing conservative voters to Hanson’s party as One Nation continues to poll strongly in several parts of the country.
While Taylor closed the door on a formal coalition agreement, reports suggest the Liberals have not ruled out negotiating preference deals in individual electorates closer to the next election campaign.
Speaking from London, where she is meeting with conservative figures including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and attending political events, Hanson hit back at Taylor’s criticism and renewed her call for conservative parties to work together. She argued that One Nation had led the debate on issues such as immigration and net zero, and said voters were “crying out for change” after years of Labor government and Coalition opposition.
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