Liberal leader Angus Taylor has dismissed the possibility of working with Pauline Hanson's One Nation, stating his singular objective is to unseat the current Labor government. Taylor expressed his view at a Sydney Institute event, asserting that One Nation is "not the solution" to the nation's challenges.
"One Nation claims to offer a way out of our national malaise. In reality, they would only make things worse," Taylor stated. He characterized the party's platform as "long on rhetoric but short on substance," describing its positions as "a random grab bag of poorly defined, contradictory and constantly changing positions that leave no clear sense of who they are or what they stand for."
Taylor further elaborated on ABC News Breakfast, reiterating that his focus remains on removing Labor from power and aiming for the Liberal party to govern independently. He projected that One Nation's policies could lead to "an extra trillion dollars of spending over 10 years" and described the party as a "one-person show."
Senator Hanson, in response to Taylor's remarks, shared a video message expressing her disappointment. "I'm very disappointed with this. Angus, I'm not your enemy," she said. Hanson urged Taylor to set aside differences, emphasizing their shared goal of ousting the "toxic" Labor-Green government. "The people of Australia are crying out for change. Listen to the people, Angus and work with me. Stop denigrating One Nation and work together," she implored.
Recent opinion polls indicate a significant drop in support for the Coalition, placing it behind One Nation. Newspoll data shows One Nation polling at 28 percent, the Coalition at 19 percent, and Labor leading with 31 percent.