One Nation director James Ashby has joined leader Pauline Hanson in ruling out a run in the 2028 race for Capricornia after Nationals leader Matt Canavan announced he will go for the Central Queensland seat.
Mr Ashby lives in the electorate and had flagged he was mulling a run, but on Monday ruled it out.
“I’ll play a role in the campaign here in Capricornia, but my position as national director is one that I take seriously,” he said in a statement first reported by News24.
“Therefore I won’t be nominating at preselection.”
He added that he believes “One Nation can win” the seat and that he intends “to throw resources and people behind a strong campaign”.
It came just hours after Senator Hanson confirmed she would not run.
“No, I’m not running in Capricornia,” she said.
At the time, she was not so adamant about Mr Ashby.
“We’re still over a year out from the election,” she said.
“So I’m not making any decisions or giving any indication where I’m standing or … if James Ashby is going to.”
Canavan confirm Capricornia run
Senator Canavan earlier confirmed he would use Capricornia to try making the switch from the Senate to the House of Representatives.
“I don’t think you’ll be surprised by this announcement but I’m not going to die wondering,” Senator Canavan told the Courier Mail.
“I may very well die politically, but I’m not going to die wondering. I’ll give it my all.”
Senator Canavan had been widely expected to take the gamble to give up his safe Senate seat for a Lower House run after long-serving Capricornia MP Michelle Landry announced last month she would retire at the next federal election.
“The issue is we need to keep this seat to change the government, and I want us to continue to deliver for Central Queensland,” Senator Canavan said.
Ms Landry holds the seat with a five per cent margin, after winning five consecutive elections for the Nationals.
Mr Ashby – who spent most of the last decade as Senator Hanson’s chief of staff – flagged a possible run for Capricornia, telling The Australian last month that One Nation supporters were encouraging him to run.
He lives in the electorate.
“There has been plenty of people who have called for me to do it, but I haven’t given anyone a firm yes or no,” he said.
Senator Canavan, who lives in Yeppoon and has his electorate office in Rockhampton, has previously indicated he would move to the Lower House if needed to strengthen the Nationals’ parliamentary representation.
“But if I’m required, if it is required to hold one more seat in the lower house somewhere, I will do it,” he told News24 earlier this month.
Senator Canavan became leader of the Nationals in March despite party leaders usually sitting in the Lower House.
Lower House run a ‘risk’ for Canavan, Nats senator
Senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie acknowledged there is a “risk” her party could lose its leader but said he has a lot to offer voters.
“I think in this current political environment there’s always a risk running for Lower House seats,” she told ABC’s Radio National.
“I think Matt’s got a great proposition.
“He’s delivered for that community alongside Michelle Landry for a long period of time and wants to take it up to Labor.”
She went on to say that One Nation targeting a long-held Nationals such as Capricornia would hurt their shared goal of “getting a bad government out of the lodge”.
“At the end of the day, One Nation has made a big song and dance of wanting to ‘fire the liar’, wanting to get the Prime Minister out of the Lodge,” Senator McKenzie said.
“There’s only one way to remove Albanese as prime minister, and that is to win more seats than the Labor Party in the House of Representatives.
“So if One Nation wants to come after the National Party or the Liberal Party, that is one less effort going into getting rid of the Labor Party.
“I’m interested in getting a bad government out of the Lodge, and I hope that One Nation will join us in that effort.”