The Liberal Party has refused to form a formal political alliance with One Nation [1, 2].
This decision signals a strategic divide within the Coalition's approach to right-wing electoral cooperation. By avoiding a blanket agreement, the party maintains flexibility in how it manages preferences across different federal seats.
Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson (Liberal) said the party will not commit to a broad partnership at this time. He said that the leadership intends to evaluate the political landscape without the constraints of a formal pact [1, 2].
According to Wilson, the party prefers a granular approach to electoral strategy. "We always look at preferences on a case‑by‑case basis," Wilson said. "We should look at this in a measured way at the time, factoring all the information" [1].
Other Coalition leaders, including Angus Taylor (Liberal), have aligned with this stance [1, 2]. The leadership said that the decision to remain independent of One Nation allows the party to assess specific regional dynamics and candidate quality before committing to preference flows [1].
This stance prevents the Liberal Party from being tied to the more populist platform of One Nation while still leaving the door open for tactical cooperation in specific contests. The party leadership said that a measured approach is necessary to ensure that preferences are directed in a way that maximizes their own electoral gains without compromising party identity [1, 2].
“The Liberal Party has refused to form a formal political alliance with One Nation.”
The refusal to form a formal alliance suggests the Liberal Party is attempting to balance the need for right-wing votes with the need to maintain a moderate image. By opting for case-by-case preference decisions, the Coalition avoids a permanent ideological tether to One Nation while retaining the ability to leverage the smaller party's support where it is mathematically advantageous.
