Coalition Senator Maria Kovacic from New South Wales has warned that the Liberals must not become “One Nation lite” following Barnaby Joyce’s switch to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party. Joyce’s move to lead One Nation’s Senate ticket in NSW makes it harder for the Liberals to keep all their seats in the 2028 election. The Coalition usually runs a joint ticket in NSW, expecting Liberals in first and third spots and Nationals second. One Nation gained the sixth NSW Senate seat in the May election with 6% of the vote. Since then, its national support about doubled in polls, making it a strong contender for the third Coalition Senate seat in 2028. Independent analyst Kevin Bonham said One Nation could win that seat even if their vote rises only slightly. Kovacic and fellow Liberal Dave Sharma face re-election in NSW in 2028. Kovacic stressed the Liberals must focus on “sensible and practical outcomes” rather than populist moves to compete with One Nation. “We cannot be One Nation lite. We need to be Liberals because that is who we are,” she said. The Coalition is also debating immigration policies, with plans to unveil new migration principles soon. This comes after One Nation pushed the Coalition to abandon its net zero emissions target — a shift Joyce supports. Joyce told radio that he is “philosophically aligned with One Nation” and is a proud conservative. Joyce’s defection came after conflict with Nationals leader David Littleproud, who removed him from the frontbench after sidelining him during the 2025 campaign. Littleproud called Joyce’s switch “disappointing” and said One Nation is just “a party of protest.” Joyce has a strong support base in New England and increased his margin by 1.85% at the May election, now holding a 17% lead.