Coalition Denies Deal Talks With One Nation Amidst Election Speculation

Liberal deputy leader Jane Hume has strongly denied that any discussions are taking place between the Coalition and One Nation regarding a potential power-sharing deal. Her comments come in response to claims made by One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce that such talks were underway.

Appearing on ABC's Insiders program, Hume stated unequivocally, "There is no deal with One Nation." She emphasized that the Coalition is committed to developing and presenting its own policies independently for the upcoming election. "The Coalition are absolutely determined that we will fight the next election with our own policies that we will develop by ourselves and release on our own timeline, and we will take those to the electorate," Hume told host David Speers.

Joyce had previously suggested that figures from One Nation and the Coalition were already discussing pathways to form a government in the event of a hung parliament. "We're having conversations, and everybody knows," Joyce stated earlier in the week. He argued that current polling indicates neither the Coalition nor One Nation has a clear path to governing alone.

Joyce, who transitioned from the Nationals to One Nation in late 2025, indicated that any potential agreement would involve negotiations over policy priorities and parliamentary support. One Nation has publicly outlined a list of demands it would seek in exchange for backing a Coalition government led by Angus Taylor, including policies to support mining, the construction of new dams, and the revival of the $45 billion Inland Rail project.

Hume repeatedly countered the notion that these discussions were occurring. "You're going to have to ask Barnaby Joyce that question because he certainly hasn't had those conversations with me. He hasn't had them with Angus Taylor. He hasn't had them with anybody in the team that I'm on," she said.

The political landscape, as highlighted by recent Newspoll data, shows One Nation leading the primary vote with 30 percent, followed by Labor at 27 percent, and the Coalition at 19 percent. This polling underscores the potential for a minority government scenario.

When questioned about Opposition Leader Angus Taylor's statement that he was prepared to "work with whoever we can to get rid of this rotten Labor government," Hume differentiated between campaign rhetoric and post-election governance. "Come election time, we are going to be fighting it out to make sure that the Coalition is who Australians look to," she said. "After an election, well, we will deal with whatever the Parliament looks like. Of course, we will do that. But more importantly, we want to be there to govern in our own right."

While Hume denied current talks or a finalized deal, she did not definitively rule out seeking support from crossbench parties if the election results in a hung parliament. The Coalition's stated aim remains to secure a majority government, presenting its own platform to voters, while One Nation suggests electoral realities might necessitate post-election negotiations.