Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has dismissed speculation she could defect to One Nation, despite openly criticising Coalition infighting.
The conservative senator had been viewed as a potential recruit for Pauline Hanson's party, which has risen in the polls and shares similar positions on immigration and cultural issues.
While praising One Nation for "listening to the people of this country" on immigration, Senator Price said the party was "certainly a protest party". She told The Daily Telegraph she would remain with the Coalition, though she felt she had been sidelined and "devalued".
"You need to be grounded in solutions. You need to be grounded in economic reform," she said. "There's no point chasing the protest vote.
"We see trends occur in our country, and this is a trend at the moment, but I don't think it has longevity, I don't think it has legs to go the distance."
Senator Price defected from the Nationals party room after the election last year and later ran unsuccessfully for the deputy leadership alongside Angus Taylor.
She drew criticism across the political spectrum — including from colleagues — after falsely claiming Labor was importing certain ethnic groups to bolster its vote, naming the Indian diaspora. She was subsequently removed from the shadow front bench, having already been demoted from shadow cabinet following the election loss, after failing to back Sussan Ley's leadership.
Senator Price told The Daily Telegraph she had been devalued, saying she worked her "guts out during the referendum" — where she was the face of the 'No' vote — only to be "placed on the sideline".
"And to me, that doesn't send any message out there to, I suppose, women in politics, Aboriginal women in politics on our side who have, you know, one day want to get involved in politics ... we're not delivering a message to them that we will recognise and value your contributions," she said.
"There's definitely a sense of just stick her back out there, she's done her bit for us, put her out the back."
Her comments come as the Coalition regroups after the election defeat and continues to struggle in the polls. The parties reunited for the second time since the election over the weekend, with Ms Ley's position reportedly terminal.
A potential leadership challenge expected as early as this week.
Senator Price also criticised anonymous briefings and unattributed comments in politics, arguing on social media last week that they have "become a shield for the cowardly and spear for the politically expedient".
"Things need to change. And change will require Australians demanding transparency, politicians standing by their words, and media refusing to publish comments that are unattributed — unless there is a moral imperative to protect sources for the greater good," she wrote.
"In the meantime, wherever you see or hear a comment that's unattributed, take it with a grain of salt."
