Australia’s Liberal Party rejects One Nation seat-sharing deal amid fundraising surge
Consensus Summary
Australia’s Liberal-National Coalition is divided over how to respond to One Nation’s surge in polling and fundraising, with opposition leader Angus Taylor rejecting calls to carve up target seats or enter preference deals with Pauline Hanson’s party. Liberal MP Tony Pasin proposed cooperation to avoid splitting conservative votes, but Taylor and senior colleagues like James Paterson dismissed the idea as premature, citing concerns about One Nation’s candidate quality and the party’s populist policies. One Nation claims to have raised over $1.5 million in a single day, targeting Labor-held seats and criticizing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s policies, while Labor’s Penny Wong dismissed the party as lacking solutions. The debate highlights tensions within the Coalition as it seeks to regain trust from traditional voters ahead of the 2028 election, with some Liberals arguing for aggressive seat-contesting strategies while others warn against aligning with One Nation’s brand.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Angus Taylor (Liberal opposition leader) stated 'No, there’s no plan to carve up seats' with One Nation on June 10, 2026, during ABC News Breakfast and repeated it June 11, 2026, to ABC and Guardian.
- One Nation claims to have raised over $1.5 million (Guardian) and $1.6 million (ABC) in a single day from supporters via a 'Fire the Liar' fundraising campaign targeting Labor, with $600,000 raised in hours (ABC).
- Liberal MP Tony Pasin proposed a 'hand-in-glove' cooperation with One Nation to target seats, citing One Nation’s strong polling in his seat of Barker (SA), where One Nation won state seats in March 2025 overlapping with federal boundaries.
- James Paterson (Liberal shadow defence minister) called preference deals with One Nation 'premature' and said the party needs to improve candidate selection, citing past issues with 'inappropriate' candidates.
- One Nation’s fundraising drive targets Labor ministers’ seats, including Chris Bowen’s McMahon and Tony Burke’s Watson, as listed on their website and mentioned by Hanson at a Perth rally on June 10, 2026.
- Penny Wong (Labor foreign minister) criticized One Nation’s policies, stating they 'propose no solutions' and 'stoke anger' during interviews with Channel Nine (ABC) and Radio National (Guardian).
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Liberal senator Maria Kovacic stated the party should focus on defeating Labor and stopping One Nation, not contesting seats less aggressively.
- Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said One Nation should target Labor seats and she would 'help campaign' for them (quoted in ABC).
- Labor’s deputy campaign director Jett Fogarty sent an urgent email to supporters for $20 donations, calling One Nation’s $600,000 raise in hours 'unprecedented' and part of $2 million from 'wealthy backers'.
- Tony Pasin’s proposal was reported in *The Australian* newspaper, not directly quoted in ABC or Guardian articles.
- The Guardian noted One Nation’s website claims $1.7 million in donations (unverified) and highlighted Hanson’s Perth rally targeting Labor ministers Clare O’Neil and Madeleine King, alongside Bowen and Burke.
- Former Liberal PM Tony Abbott suggested preference swaps and working with 'whoever we can' to defeat Labor, as reported by Guardian.
- The Guardian included a quote from former ABC election analyst Antony Green speculating Pasin may hope One Nation stands aside in Barker.
- Guardian mentioned a $100 million government fund for arthritis research and a TGA crackdown on illegal peptides, which were not covered in ABC’s article.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports One Nation raised $1.6 million in a day, while Guardian reports $1.5 million (unverified) and later $1.7 million (also unverified) on their website.
- Guardian states One Nation’s fundraising claims are 'unverified,' while ABC describes the $600,000 in hours as 'unprecedented' without questioning verification.
- ABC notes Labor’s email to supporters called One Nation’s $600,000 raise 'on top of the $2 million she has bragged about receiving from wealthy backers,' but Guardian does not reference this $2 million figure.
- Guardian mentions a TGA crackdown on illegal peptides and $100 million for arthritis research, which ABC does not cover, creating a gap in policy-focused reporting.
Source Articles
Australia news live: Angus Taylor rejects proposal to ‘carve up’ seats between Coalition and One Nation; $100m for new arthritis research
Liberal leader says there is ‘no plan’ for the parties to collaborate on which seats to run in. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Wong not ‘interested’ in One Nation’s fundraising Wong says she isn’t concerned about One Nation’s fundraising efforts, but more about their policies. Pauline Hanson ’s party says it has raised more than $1.5m in the last day, although those claims are unverified. I’m less interested in what Pauline Hanson fundraise
Taylor rules out One Nation seat carve-up as party raises $1.6 million
Opposition leader Angus Taylor says the Coalition has no plan to share the seats the party targets at the next federal election with One Nation as Pauline Hanson's party says it has raised $1.6 million in a day.
Angus Taylor rejects One Nation seat sharing deal as cracks appear in Liberal ranks over Pauline Hanson threat
South Australian Liberal Tony Pasin says parties should ‘work hand-in-glove’ to defeat Labor at the next election Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Splits are appearing inside the Liberal party about how to deal with Pauline Hanson, after one opposition MP at risk of losing his seat to One Nation said the two conservative parties should cooperate and not run against each other – a plan rejected by Angus Taylor and