Maverick Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has called on the government to support similar positions to One Nation in order to reconnect with voters concerned about Muslim immigration and declining industries.
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Speaking to Sky News from New York, where he is on a three-month secondment to the United Nations, Senator Bernardi said a poll showing Labor leading the Coalition 52-48 had highlighted the popularity of third parties.
"What I noticed today was the drop in the Liberal poll, there was about a commensurate lift in the 'others' poll. So it hadn't gone to Labor, it has gone to others," he told host Andrew Bolt on Tuesday night.
"And I suspect that is One Nation and others who are saying the things that I think the Liberal Party should be saying, with a bit more nuance and maybe a little bit more delicacy."
The Newspoll found a three-point drop in the Coalition's primary vote since the last survey, as well as a one-point lift each for Labor, the Greens and 'other'.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson recently used her first speech since returning to Parliament to call for a ban on Muslim migration, labelling the religion "incompatible" with Australian life, and urging a ban on mosque construction and halal certification.
Senator Bernardi, who has flirted with the idea of breaking away from his party and recently established the Australian Conservatives group, said the Coalition needs to start talking about issues like migration, culture, jobs and manufacturing.
"All of those things matter to people in Australia and we've got to start talking about that rather than some of the more flamboyant rhetoric like 'innovation' and things like that, which doesn't mean much to a lot of people," he said.
Asked to name a specific policy initiative that would resonate with supporters of One Nation, the outspoken conservative repeated a previous suggestion for a rethink of the special intake of 12,000 refugees from the conflict in Iraq and Syria.
"I know that, you know, there are some people that are doing it desperately tough there but we don't better our country by bringing in potentially greater problems," he said.
"Not only is it expensive, it has serious social and cultural ramifications for us."
A recent Essential poll of 1000 people found 49 per cent favoured a ban on Muslim people migrating to Australia, citing concerns about integration, different values and terrorism.