Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken a swipe at the opposition, comparing the Liberal-National split and leadership chaos to reality TV show Married at First Sight.
‘I note that Married at First Sight begins tonight. And it is a bit like that with the relationships on the other side,’ he said on Monday.
‘You know they will end badly, you know there will be jealousy involved and they will be not truthful to each other – cheating. That is what we are seeing played out in real time.’
Albanese said his government remained focused on governing rather than internal political disputes, adding he was unsure where negotiations among opponents were taking place.
‘I’m not sure if they are down the other end of the corridor or where their meetings are taking place, but we will continue to be focused,’ he said.
He said the situation contrasted sharply with his government’s focus.
‘You cannot fight for Australia if you are obsessed by fighting each other,’ Albanese said.
‘That is what we are seeing on the other side with the fragmentation of people competing for who can be more right-wing, who can be more divisive, who can dislike their own people more and more.
‘We will continue to look for how we can make sure we have sustainability in our systems, that we provide responsible economic management, we continue to deliver for people in lifting up their quality of life. That is our focus each and every day in this room.’
Albanese (pictured) compared the Liberals and Nationals to Married at First Sight couples
Anthony Albanese (pictured) said that his party was united, in contrast to the Opposition
Liberals meanwhile say their party is paying the price for weeks of infighting as one MP plots a leadership challenge and One Nation skyrockets in the polls.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has surged to new heights of popularity, snatching voters from the opposition after weeks of infighting and leadership speculation.
The poll is likely to intensify pressure on Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who is facing a possible challenge to her job as soon as next week.
The RedBridge survey shows the primary vote for the Liberals and Nationals, whose coalition blew up in mid-January, has plunged by seven points to 19 per cent.
One Nation meanwhile now sits on 26 per cent after a nine point increase in support.
Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan blamed divisions within the now-former coalition for the poor poll showing.
‘Everyone knows in politics that disunity is death, and the Australian people will never, ever say that if you are divided, that they think that you’re ready to govern this nation,’ he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
Liberal senator Jane Hume said Australians were turning to One Nation because they felt ‘aggrieved’.
Sussan Ley (pictured) remains under pressure as the Liberal vote collapses in opinion polls
‘When Australians are aggrieved they turn to a grievance party like One Nation, and that’s simply not good enough, and certainly not sustainable,’ she told Sky News.
‘Unless the coalition, and specifically the Liberal Party, can turn around its message and deliver what Australians are looking for, which is a genuine alternative, well then we deserve what we get,’ Senator Hume said.
The former minister added that she backed Ley to remain as leader, and urged colleagues to unite behind her so the party can deliver serious policies.
Speculation is running rife that Angus Taylor, a conservative frontbencher from NSW, could soon challenge Ley for the leadership.
His rival, fellow right-wing MP Andrew Hastie, ruled himself out of the race for the top job on Friday after a meeting between the two men and senior powerbrokers the day before.
Taylor is unlikely to challenge Ley this week, but a leadership spill could be called in next week’s party room meeting.
