Morrison government MPs could lose their seats off the back of a One Nation decision to preference Labor over the coalition, sparking concerns within the Nationals.
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Nationally, One Nation is polling around three to 4.5 per cent, but Queensland specific polling has previously had the far-right minor party primary vote in the low 10s to mid-teens.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce acknowledged the importance of preference flows from One Nation, with LNP members in Queensland relying on them to get over the line.
"The minority (of candidates) actually get past the post on first preferences," he said.
"So preference deals are inherently important. We rely on One Nation preferences in areas and certainly the Liberal Party relies on us to give them the numbers to be the government."
Pauline Hanson indicated One Nation would preference Labor over the Liberals in key seats after she accused the government of doing a "dirty deal with the devil" by telling voters to preference the Jacquie Lambie Network in the Tasmanian Senate race.
Senator Hanson said she would look to punish Liberals in marginal seats, particularly in Queensland and Victoria.
"Unfortunately, left-leaning Liberals aren't giving conservative Australian voters much reason to hope their party will act differently to Labor," she said.
In Queensland, more than two-thirds of One Nation preferences flowed to the coalition.
The party polled above 10 per cent in 14 seats at the last election, 11 in Queensland and two others in the coal mining NSW seats of Hunter and Paterson, which the Nationals are also targeting.
Negotiations between Senator Hanson and Mr Joyce fell over following the Jacqui Lambie Network announcement, but the deputy prime minister says discussions are always ongoing.
"Preference deals go over such a long period of time. You're discussing things continually, it doesn't happen by magic," he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison appeared less concerned about Senator Hanson's decision, rebuffing suggestions coalition MPs could be disadvantaged at the election.
"There's further information to come on that, particularly in relation to Queensland, there's different arrangements in different states and territories," Mr Morrison told reporters in Cairns on Thursday.
"That's just all politics, what matters is the choice Australians have to make."
Among the seats most at risk by the preference deal are the Liberal electorates of Bass in Tasmania, held by Bridget Archer by just 0.4 per cent, and Leichhardt in Queensland, held by 4.2 per cent by Warren Entsch.
One Nation is also set to preference Labor over Liberals in inner-city electorates where coalition candidates are facing challenges from independents, such as Goldstein and North Sydney.
But One Nation says it still plans to support Liberal conservatives and Nationals over ALP candidates.
While One Nation has indicated where its preferences would go to in key seats, it is still only a suggestion to voters ahead of the election.
A study of how to vote card use in 2016 and 2019 showed less than five per cent of One Nation voters followed the party's card.
Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said Labor would not seek to do any preference deals with One Nation.
"We don't control the preferences that come to us, but we don't do deals with her," he said.
Tasmanian independent senator Jacqui Lambie also hit back at One Nation, saying the characterisation of her preference deal as a "deal with the devil" was "the pot calling the kettle black".
"When you are a mainlander and trying to run a campaign down here, it makes it very difficult," Senator Lambie told the Nine Network.
"It's only a two-horse race down here. Pauline has just woken up to that and it's hit her hard."
Australian Associated Press
