Liberal Senator Alex Antic urged the Liberal-National Coalition and One Nation to cooperate to defeat the Labor government [1, 2].

The call for an alliance suggests a potential shift in center-right strategy to consolidate power against the current administration. If successful, such a bloc could fundamentally alter the balance of power in the Australian Parliament by bridging the gap between mainstream conservatives and right-wing populists.

Speaking during an interview with Sky News Australia senior reporter Caroline Marcus, Antic said that defeating the Labor government should be the top priority for the center right [1]. He described the current government as "awful" and said a united front is the only way to effectively remove them from power [1, 2].

Antic said that the shared goal of national interest should outweigh internal friction between different conservative factions. "My great hope is that the centre right in this country can band together at least a little bit," Antic said [1].

The senator defended the leadership of both the Coalition and One Nation, noting that he does not believe Angus Taylor-QCD or Pauline Hanson are anything other than "Australia first" [1]. This defense comes amid shifting political landscapes where populist movements are gaining traction. According to one report, One Nation was projected to win 59 seats in a recent poll [3].

Antic said that the Liberal Party has struggled to distance itself sufficiently from Labor on economic issues, which may have contributed to the rise of One Nation [3]. By forming a cooperative relationship with the party, he said the center right could better serve the country's needs, and ensure a change in leadership [1, 2].

““We are here as the centre right to remove this awful Labor government, which should be our number one priority.””

This push for a center-right alliance reflects a growing tension within the Liberal Party between maintaining a moderate image and catering to a surging populist base. By advocating for a formal or informal partnership with One Nation, Senator Antic is signaling that the priority of removing the Labor government now outweighs the traditional political risks of associating with far-right elements. If the Coalition adopts this approach, it could lead to a more ideologically rigid conservative bloc in Parliament.