Barnaby Joyce’s claims that One Nation and the Coalition are holding secret discussions over a possible government-forming deal have been dismissed by senior Liberal figures.
The former Nationals deputy prime minister said talks were under way about one party providing supply and confidence to the other, but declined to say who he had spoken to.
“We’re having conversations, and everybody knows,” Mr Joyce told News24. He acknowledged that current polling gave neither the Coalition nor One Nation a clear path to forming government.
Tim Wilson, the opposition treasury spokesman, rejected the suggestion that senior-level negotiations were taking place.
“I think they’re a figment of Barnaby’s imagination,” Mr Wilson said. He suggested Mr Joyce may regret leaving the Nationals for One Nation in December 2025, saying he had joined a party where “he doesn’t pull the strings and is now just operated by others”.
Mr Joyce hit back by accusing Mr Wilson of being unable to count to 76, the number of lower house seats required to form a government.
Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume said she, Liberal leader Angus Taylor and Nationals leader Matt Canavan were unaware of any discussions with One Nation.
“I’m pretty sure that that this is Barnaby clutching at straws,” Senator Hume said. “Perhaps he’s got some sort of post-purchase dissonance … I have absolutely no idea exactly what it is that Barnaby is discussing, or who he’s discussing it with.”
The dispute comes as One Nation records a 30 per cent primary vote in the latest Newspoll, compared with 19 per cent for the Coalition.
The figures have exposed divisions within the Liberal Party over whether it should work more closely with the anti-immigration party or distance itself from it.
Simon Kennedy, a Liberal MP, said the party would not formalise a coalition with One Nation but remained willing to work with other parties and independents to remove the Labor government.
“We won’t be formalising a coalition with One Nation, but what I will be doing is working with anyone to get rid of this Labor government,” Mr Kennedy said. “I’ll work with anyone – literally anybody … if that’s the crossbench, if that’s the independents.”
South Australian Liberal Party president Senator Alex Antic has also backed co-operation between the two parties. He has close ties to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and South Australian party division leader Cory Bernardi, but said his position was personal and did not represent the Coalition.
