One Nation 'poison' strains Queensland's Liberal-National alliance

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has effectively ruled out doing any deals with One Nation at the next election and federal Queensland MPs are calling for the Liberal-National Party merger to be either scrapped or loosened as the Coalition grapples with the outcome of Saturday's state election.

Almost every federal MP or Senator from Queensland believes the LNP should either be demerged, or the Liberals and Nationals allowed more autonomy, so they can appeal to their respective constituencies and repel One Nation in the regions while reconnecting with city voters.

On Saturday, One Nation won only one seat with an average statewide vote of about 14 per cent.

But its vote in the state's north and west, where there are key federal Coalition seats, was around twice that, rattling the incumbents. Renegade federal LNP MP George Christensen whose seat of Dawson recorded blamed Mr Turnbull's leadership.

Attorney-General George Brandis warned a decade ago that if the Queensland Liberals and Nationals were merged, it would create a vacuum for a third party in the regions, which has been filled by One Nation. Senator Brandis indicated on Monday that the LNP had to reconsider a de-merger.

"The LNP is going to have a very honest discussion with itself...as to where non-Labor politics in Queensland goes from here," he said.

"There does need to be an honest, frank forthright discussion among the leaders of the LNP about future direction."

Many who voted for One Nation took votes from the Coalition and gave their preferences to Labor, helping Labor win several seats. Senator Brandis said One Nation was "poison" for the LNP while Mr Turnbull said there was nothing to be gained by doing deals with One Nation.

"Everyone is entitled to cast their vote as they see fit but the voting for One Nation in the Queensland election has only assisted the Labor Party. Let's be very clear about that," he said.

"The One Nation voters, I want to say to them that your votes for One Nation have assisted Annastacia Palaszczuk.

"Now, when we come to the federal election, we will be making that point very, very strongly."

Central Queensland federal MP Ken O'Dowd backed a demerger of the LNP saying the regional-based Nationals had lost their identity under one party.

"I think there should be formal split or a lot of talking to get it back on track because we are certainly going down the wrong direction," Mr O'Dowd told The Australian Financial Review.

"I think we have lost our way a bit and if we continue along that path we will become irrelevant to the man on the street. He thinks we're just one party tied to the Liberals and the Liberals philosophy."

Mr O'Dowd holds the seat of Flynn on a slim margin of 1 per cent and is worried about the next federal poll.

One Nation polled 17.5 per cent in last year's federal election. He predicts they will receive up to 25 per cent in the next federal poll.

One senior MP concurred, saying the union hamstrung both parties.

"You can't sell George Christensen in Brisbane and you can't sell George Brandis in Mackay," he said.

Another MP who declined to be identified said a demerger was unnecessary but "debranding" was vital. As they did at the last federal election, the Nationals would again use their own logos and messaging in the regions to differentiate themselves from the Liberals.

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