Pauline Hanson has rubbished speculation that Barnaby Joyce will lead One Nation, while one of his colleagues in the Nationals believes he will not defect.
The former deputy prime minister stopped short of confirming whether he would defect to One Nation, despite reports suggesting he was in “advanced talks” with the right-wing conservative party and may even make a bid for leadership.
One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson. (Alex Ellinghausen)
Hanson, who has said she would “open the doors” for Joyce to join One Nation, has knocked back claims that her party was up for grabs.
She told Sky News that a Joyce takeover is “not going to happen”. 
“He’s not going to be leading the party, so that’s totally out of the question,” she said. 
“I haven’t got an ego that big. My attitude is if someone can do a better job than I can, fair enough. But don’t write me off at the moment.”
Hanson confirmed she had made a formal offer for Joyce to join One Nation, but he did not commit and is awaiting the outcome of a bill he introduced in parliament opposing net-zero. 
Barnaby Joyce says he will finish as the Member for New England at the next election but has left open the possibility of a move to One Nation in the Senate. (Alex Ellinghausen)
In what could be a dramatic turnaround, Joyce’s colleague and friend, Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie, said she believed he would not even cross over to One Nation.
“Barnaby loves the party. He’s given us a lot, and we’ve given him a lot. And I think he’ll be staying where he is, if not in the room,” she said told Today.
McKenzie added that several Nationals MPs, including deputy leader Kevin Hogan, have taken a “break” from the party room “every now and then”. 
“I think there’s been a lot of hoopla about nothing,” she said.
Nationals leader David Littleproud has urged Joyce to stay in the party and is speaking to him to make sure his contribution is “valued” amid policy differences.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud, Deputy Leader Kevin Hogan and Leader in the Senate Bridget McKenzie. (Alex Ellinghausen)
More infighting over in the Coalition
Joyce’s potential defection to One Nation has raised fears that he would take other Nationals members with him as Hanson ramps up her campaigning in regional territory.
The Coalition is struggling to increase its influence and win back voters after its historic defeat at the federal election in May. 
Not long after that loss, the Nationals and Liberals had their own relationship breakdown when they split for the first time since the 1980s, before coming back together in what was a short-lived separation.
The Coalition is also failing to shake off very public infighting, with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley coming under fire from her colleagues this week over her call for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to sack Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd over an awkward exchange with US President Donald Trump during his first meeting at the White House.
Donald Trump singles out Kevin Rudd after being asked about the ambassador’s previous comments about him. (The White House)
Albanese laughed off the exchange, and Trump reportedly accepted an off-camera apology from Rudd.
The moment was dismissed as Rudd was praised for his efforts in securing a historic rare earth and critical mineral deal with the Trump administration.
Backbench Senator Jane Hume said Ley’s comments were “churlish”. 
“The work clearly has been done on critical minerals and rare earths by Kevin Rudd personally, and I think that he should be acknowledged for that good work,” she told Sky News.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley walked back her comments about Kevin Rudd. (Sitthixay Ditthavong/AFR)Ley later walked back her comments, saying ”Kevin Rudd is the prime minister’s choice for ambassador, it’s a big job”, and welcomed the remark from her “talented backbench”.
Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull also dismissed her calls in a letter praising the federal government for its “10/10” meeting and deal with Trump.
McKenzie also supported Rudd’s efforts and gave him “credit where it’s due”.
“Ambassador Rudd’s worked behind the scenes for months to land this deal. It all looks like it just happens in the room and it’s hammered out, people sign and away we go, but that would have taken months of painstaking negotiation to get the deal done,” she told Today.
“There are plenty of good reasons to have a beef. This isn’t one of them.”
The Coalition has already lost two members, Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Price, from its frontbench over even more infighting.