Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan has pushed back against growing speculation that the Liberal Party could form a coalition with One Nation, insisting the idea is not part of the party’s focus as debate intensifies over the future of the conservative vote.
One Nation’s recent surge in popularity has prompted questions about whether the Liberals might consider a formal alliance to reclaim seats from Labor. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has already ruled out carving up electorates with One Nation at the next federal election, though he left open the possibility of a preference deal.
Asked whether a coalition with One Nation was a red line for him, Tehan said it was simply not on the party’s agenda. His comments come as the Liberals attempt to steady internal messaging following controversial remarks from party president Tony Abbott, who told a London audience that mass migration from culturally different countries would “dilute” and “extinguish” Anglo‑Celtic culture.
Tehan said he had not seen Abbott’s speech but stressed that migration policy is set by the party room, not by individual figures. “There are people who have a lot of views about this, but it is the party room which always has and always will set the policy agenda and that’s what we will continue to do,” he said.
He pointed to Taylor’s budget reply, which proposed allowing migration to grow at a ratio of one migrant for every new home built, as the party’s official position.
The debate underscores the Liberals’ challenge in balancing voter concerns about migration, housing and cultural identity while avoiding deeper entanglement with One Nation’s more hardline rhetoric a dynamic that continues to shape conservative politics across Australia.
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